Let the River Run
by moonlightandmagnolias85
Summary: Eponine lands a job as an administrative assistant at Enjolras' law firm. While it's not her dream job, she hopes it will at least help her live comfortably while finishing graduate school. She gets more than she bargained for, however, in her stern, but caring boss, and in the friends she makes through him. Written for the tumblr prompt, "Eponine as Enj's secretary."
1. Chapter 1

**_let the river run_**

**_let all the dreamers_**

**_wake the nation_**

**_come, the new jerusalem_**

**i.**

Finding a job after graduating college was the most impossible task of her life. She knew it would be hard, considering most places didn't hire someone with only a bachelor's in social work, but she thought there was enough demand for her chosen profession in the city that she'd get lucky, anyway.

She was wrong. It was now September and she'd been looking since May, with only two real interviews that entire time. She'd even started graduate classes for her master's degree already, and with no money coming in from a job (besides the shitty pay from being a barista), her loan money was steadily dwindling as she was forced to use it for necessities like rent and food.

But, luckily, her good friend Cosette came to the rescue, or more specifically, Cosette's husband, Marius. Apparently, a friend of his was an up and coming hotshot lawyer in need of an administrative assistant. Considering she was absolutely desperate to make any amount of money above minimum wage, she jumped at the chance for an interview. Obviously, being a glorified secretary wasn't on her lifetime bucket list or anything, but it was better than nothing.

Eponine sort of knew her potential employer, Gabriel Enjolras; they'd met at a few college parties, but not many considering they had gone to different schools (Enjolras, Cosette, and Marius to a prestigious _private _university and Eponine to a cheaper state school across town), and he had also been a groomsman in Marius and Cosette's wedding. He had barely said three words to her the whole wedding weekend, however, and Eponine hadn't really paid him much attention, though she did remember that the man could wear the hell out of a suit.

Her leg bounced nervously and she sat on her hands to keep herself from biting her nails as she waited in the posh reception area of Enjolras' international law firm. Her knowledge in this area was slim, and she had virtually _no _experience working in an office environment, but hopefully her status as a friend of Marius and Cosette's would get her somewhere. She had no idea if Enjolras would be interviewing her himself or not, but she hoped it would happen soon because if she had to sit still another minute Eponine thought she might scream. A middle-aged woman sitting behind a desk across the room kept eyeing her with a distinctly judgmental look, as well, and though Eponine tried her best to ignore it, she kept feeling the blonde's gaze on her. Granted, there wasn't a whole lot else to look at in the sparse, modern space, so maybe she just couldn't help but stare.

A door opened down the hall and Eponine recognized Enjolras' voice as he spoke to a colleague; she stood and smoothed her cheap skirt, shifting her purse onto her shoulder. Enjolras appeared a moment later, looking just as good as she remembered in a dark blue suit with a bright red tie. His hair was perfectly coiffed, his eyes as blue as his suit. Eponine smiled, a little surprised when he did nothing more than give her a polite nod.

"Ms. Thenardier?"

"Yes. Uh, hi...how are you?" Eponine got the distinct feeling he didn't remember her at all as she shook his hand, and was a little confused. Seriously? They had seen each other on at least five different occasions, and while they had never really had a proper conversation, they had at least exchanged a few pleasantries.

"I'm doing well. You can come back to my office, it's the second door on the left." Enjolras let her start down the hall ahead of him and gestured her into his office, ever the gentleman. Eponine sat in a comfortable chair and watched him settle himself behind his desk, still giving no indication that he had any idea who she was.

"So how have you been?" she asked pleasantly, taking note of the slightly perplexed look he shot her in regards to her question. She waited a beat for him to respond, then said slowly, "You have no idea who I am, do you?"

"Uh...no. I'm sorry. Should I?" He raised his eyebrows as he studied her, clearly trying to place from where he could possibly know her.

"Well, yes, technically. We've met a few times, I think at your friend Courfeyrac's house once or twice? And I was in Marius and Cosette's wedding as her maid of honor?" Eponine's cheeks colored a bit – it was actually a little embarrassing being completely forgotten after having been in the same wedding party, for Christ's sake!

Enjolras' eyes widened. "Oh! Yeah, no, of course. Yeah, of course I remember you. I'm sorry. That was stupid of me."

Eponine shrugged. "It's okay. We didn't talk very much, and to be honest, I don't remember a _whole _lot from those parties or the wedding, either, if you know what I mean..." _Oh my God. You fucking idiot – it's not smart to allude to being stupidly drunk on a job interview._

Enjolras smiled tightly and cleared his throat, picking up what looked like her resume from his desk. "Yes, well. I remember them all too well, actually."

Since it seemed safer to just be quiet at this point rather than make another asinine comment, Eponine bit her lip and nodded, glancing awkwardly around his sparse office. It was nicely furnished, but there were very few personal touches – no pictures of friends, family, or a girlfriend. She'd always gotten the impression that Enjolras was a bit of a workaholic, and his office only reinforced the notion. He'd always had a serious, Wall Street kind of vibe.

"So, I see you graduated in May with a degree in social work, specifically child welfare. And you've already begun graduate school?"

"Yes. I'm only taking one class a semester right now so I can hopefully work full time, as well. Apparently, not many social work positions are available for people with a lowly bachelor's degree, though! Who knew." She winced at her attempt at humor as Enjolras' eyes never even left her resume, his brow furrowed.

"And you've never had a position like this one before?"

"No..." Eponine admitted, her heart falling at his less than encouraging tone. "But I learn quickly and am extremely reliable. I can handle anything you'll throw at me."

Enjolras finally looked at her, leaning back in his plush chair and sighing. "I'm sure you could handle it, but I really prefer someone who at least has some experience in secretarial or reception work. Someone that knows a bit about law is always a plus, too; however, you have neither of those things. You would be in charge of my entire professional schedule, confidential case files, and in some instances, even helping me do research. Your entire job would basically consist of trying to make my job a bit easier by handling the basics for me. This is at least a forty-five hour a week position, and I expect a certain level of dedication from my employees. With no experience and with you in school, I just don't think..."

"That wouldn't matter!" Eponine interjected. "I can absolutely promise that my classes wouldn't interfere with my work. This would be my priority and I would give it my full attention. And like I said, I learn quickly and can promise you I will absolutely dedicate myself to learning every minuscule detail of this job." _Come on, come on, come on, _Eponine thought. _I'm fucking desperate here... _She already dreaded another night of sitting in her tiny studio apartment, filling out application after application and e-mailing random contacts hoping they might know someone who knew someone. Her post university life was absolutely pathetic thus far.

"But you have no intention of keeping this position? It's not a career choice for you, as it is for many others. I'd prefer to find someone who sees this..."

Enjolras trailed off as he looked at her, and Eponine paled, realizing her bottom lip was actually trembling. Jesus, she was actually about to cry from disappointment. And now embarrassment. _Fuck._

She sucked in a deep breath and straightened, squaring her shoulders to make one final attempt to convince him to take a chance on her.

"Look, I understand your reservations. I really do. But honestly? I'm desperate. I'm spending my loan money like crazy and I can't find a job in my field because everyone either requires a master's degree or experience. But how the hell am I supposed to get experience if no one will hire me? So, yes, I don't want to be a secretary or administrative assistant or whatever the official title of this thing is, for the rest of my life, but I can promise you that for the next three years, or five, or _however _long it takes me to actually finish my master's degree without going out of my mind, I will be glued to that desk out there whenever you need me just as long as I'm making more than $8.50 an hour and not making shitty coffee drinks for assholes that decide to hit on me at 5:30 in the morning!" Eponine took a deep breath as she finished what she was sure was the most embarrassing and ridiculous speech of her life. Her face was hot, and she was sure, probably an alarming shade of red as she blushed under his surprised stare, but she bravely held his gaze from across the desk.

Enjolras narrowed his eyes at her and Eponine crossed her fingers as she saw the wheels turning in his head. "So you really think you can handle the demands and pressures of this job on top of graduate school?"

Eponine nodded eagerly. "I know I can. I will."

"I'll tell you what – I'll give you a four week trial..."

"Eight weeks," Eponine interrupted, but quickly clamped her mouth shut as she realized that was not the first time she'd interrupted Enjolras during this interview, and she wasn't exactly helping her case by being so rude.

"Are you going to make interrupting me a habit? And five weeks." Enjolras' mouth twitched the tiniest bit, and she wondered if he was fighting a smile.

"Seven. And no...probably not, anyway."

"Six, and that's my final offer. I don't like being interrupted."

"Okay, six weeks. And I'm sorry." Eponine smiled tentatively, not quite sure how to gauge his mood yet. He looked grave, but didn't sound too angry. He had a good poker face, though, and was incredibly hard to read, even for her.

"When can you start?"

"Tomorrow. Today. Whenever! I promise you won't regret this. Thank you," Eponine said sincerely.

Enjolras' mouth finally curved into a small smile. "You can start tomorrow. Come in at eight and you can sign paperwork with our HR representative. Jennifer will train you – she works for my partner, Michael Campbell, and has been here a long time, so she knows the job inside and out. I haven't had very good luck with assistants so far." He frowned at that, and Eponine filed that little fact away in her mind for later. _Curious._ She wondered if Enjolras was hard to work for, but didn't want to outright ask until she could see through his cool exterior a little better.

"Thank you," she said again. "I really, really mean it. I appreciate it more than you know."

Enjolras stood, and Eponine took that as her cue, as well. She smoothed her skirt again, very aware of how shabby her thrift store outfit looked next to his expensive suit. She would have to do some serious wardrobe magic to look presentable enough for this place...

He opened his office door for her, but, Eponine noted, never touched her as she moved past him. That was a good sign, at least; even a fairly innocent touch, on her back, for instance, would have put her guard up against him. She hated men who felt they had a right to touch her for absolutely no reason and without invitation.

"Oh, I didn't even think to ask. And not that it matters because I definitely want the job either way..." Eponine trailed off, realizing she was rambling needlessly again, and finished lamely, "But what is my salary?"

Enjolras pursed his lips for a moment before responding. "You'll start at $15 an hour, but there will be opportunities to work overtime and earn a raise within a year, if everything works out and you stay. Is that acceptable?"

Eponine nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! Absolutely." It was more than she could ever hope to make at the coffee shop, and she had to keep herself from throwing her arms around him in delight. She'd already made an ass out of herself enough for one day.

Enjolras held out his hand, still the picture of professionalism, and smiled cordially at her in farewell. "Good. See you tomorrow, Ms. Thenardier."

Eponine gave a happy little wave before walking out of the office. She had to stop herself from skipping down the sidewalk back to her car. Maybe things would finally take a turn for the better.

* * *

**_Hello there! I got a prompt in my ask box on tumblr a few weeks ago for a story where Eponine is Enjolras' secretary. It immediately made me think of the movie "Working Girl" with Melanie Griffith and Harrison Ford that is SO ridiculously 80s-tastic...but I really don't know why. She's not a secretary in that movie. I do LOVE the opening scene, however, because it's a really beautiful love letter to NYC and it's possibilities with Carly Simon's song "Let the River Run" playing. So I decided to use that song as inspiration for this. Each part will have a little snippet of the lyrics and it will kind of guide the story. ANYWHO. Hope you enjoy this!_**

**_Also, if you're the praying type or just believe in good vibes, please keep me in your thoughts this week. I'm having a tiny health issue that's got me a bit freaked out and am waiting for some test results to come back. I'd appreciate your good energy! THANKS!_**


	2. Chapter 2

**_silver cities rise,_**

**_the morning lights_**

**_the streets that meet them,_**

**_and sirens call them on_**

**_with a song_**

**ii.**

_8 am is a fucking piece of cake_, Eponine thought to herself the next morning. She was used to waking up at 4 in order to be at the coffee shop by 5. Sleeping in until 6:30 felt like a luxury this morning, and she was never going to complain about her hours again. It was more interesting commuting at 7:30, too. People were everywhere in the Central Business District, flowing down the streets in their business suits and carrying briefcases and massive cups of coffee from Starbucks or CC's. Some were calm and seemed happy, some were practically falling asleep where they stood, and others were clearly working already through their million technological devices. There was no shortage of interesting people to watch, and Eponine loved that.

It wasn't lost on her that even though this wasn't her dream job, it _was _her first "big girl" job, one that she could actually earn a living at. Things could always be better, but this was a start, and one she desperately needed. She had never been the kind of person to not give her all to something, either, whether it was what she _wanted _to be doing or not. So, damn it, she was going to be the best damn administrative assistant Gabriel Enjolras had ever had.

She walked into the office at exactly 7:55, five minutes early, and was surprised to find herself alone. The front doors were unlocked, though, so she figured someone must be around.

Eponine perched on the edge of the same chair she'd sat in yesterday, afraid to wander somewhere she wasn't supposed to be if she searched for someone. At exactly 8 o'clock, the woman from yesterday appeared from the back, carrying a steaming mug of coffee. Eponine stood and smiled, trying to forget about the judgmental looks from her interview the day before. "Hi, I'm Eponine. Today is my first day. I think I'm supposed to be meeting with someone from HR?"

The woman smiled tightly and put her mug of coffee down, shaking Eponine's outstretched hand only briefly. "Yes, hi. Mr. Enjolras told me to expect you. I'm Jennifer."

"Right! He mentioned you yesterday. It's nice to meet you."

Jennifer handed Eponine a small key, immediately shifting from pleasantries to straight business mode. "This key is for the bottom drawer of your desk. You may want to keep your purse in there. Don't lose the key, though, or you'll have to pay for a replacement." Jennifer gestured to the desk on the other side of the room and Eponine nodded. Jennifer wasn't exactly being unpleasant, but there was something in her tone that was off-putting, though it was hard to put her finger on exactly what.

"You can put your things away now and then I'll take you upstairs to HR."

"Sure." Eponine quickly put her purse away, getting the sense that Jennifer was a bit impatient from the way she shifted from foot to foot in the doorway. When Eponine straightened, Jennifer immediately turned and walked down the hall, Eponine hurrying after her to the elevators at the opposite end. They didn't speak as they went up to the third floor, and before Eponine knew it, she was handed off to an alarmingly pleasant man to sign paperwork and Jennifer had disappeared.

After an hour of signing paperwork and being walked through how her retirement fund and insurance coverage worked (which almost made her fall out of her chair because she had become so used to _not having insurance_), she was sent back downstairs to start learning the ins and outs of the job.

Though 'nice' wasn't an adjective Eponine would use to describe Jennifer, 'efficient' was. She had explained the computer systems they used to track appointments and schedules and had Eponine practicing making fake appointments within an hour. It was eleven in the morning before Eponine realized she had yet to see Enjolras. Was he stuck back in his office the entire time or was he not even in the building? Eponine had no clue.

At noon, Jennifer abruptly stood. "This is my lunch. You can take yours in an hour, but one of us needs to be out here at all times."

"Oh, okay. What if..." Eponine trailed off as Jennifer disappeared down the hallway without giving her a second glance. She finished her thought only for her own benefit. "And what if something comes up that I know absolutely nothing about?"

Praying that no one wandered in from the street that she'd have to deal with alone, Eponine busied herself with looking through Enjolras' schedule for the next few weeks. _Holy shit, when does he sleep? _

There were business breakfasts, meetings with clients, business lunches, court dates, consultations with other firms and private clients, business dinners, and, of course, his scheduled time in the office. He was busy almost every single day from 7:30 or 8 am to at least 7 at night, and that was when a lot of his business dinners were scheduled to _begin._ There was no telling what time he actually got home in the evening. Eponine remembered wondering if he had a girlfriend yesterday and now seriously hoped not, considering they would never see each other.

Almost as though she'd summoned him with her thoughts, Enjolras suddenly walked through the front door. Eponine looked up, relieved to see a familiar face and not someone who actually needed her to do something (other than set up an appointment on the fancy software). "Hi! How are you?"

"I'm doing well. How's your first day going?" Enjolras stopped in front of her desk, but surreptitiously glanced over at Jennifer's empty seat.

"Pretty great. If you need me to make an appointment, I'm your girl."

"Is that all you've learned so far?" Enjolras frowned and Eponine felt her cheeks turning pink at his implication.

"Oh, um. Well, yeah. I signed a lot of paperwork this morning and stuff, so we got started late, and then Jennifer went to lunch..."

"And she left you out here alone? When all you know how to do is make appointments? Do you even have your cell phone yet?"

"No..." Eponine bit her lip, puzzled by the cell phone question. She was supposed to get a cell phone? "I didn't realize it was a problem. I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault. She should know better." Enjolras sighed and began walking back to his office. "I'll get someone to bring your cell phone in a few minutes."

"Okay...thanks..." Eponine slumped in her chair once Enjolras was out of sight. _Everyone around here is just full of fucking sunshine. _Her brief encounter with Enjolras made her feel as if she'd been chastised by a parent.

There wasn't much time to dwell on the feeling, however, before the same guy from HR she'd been with earlier appeared with a Blackberry box in hand. Apparently Enjolras worked fast. HR Ben (as Eponine had started calling him in her head) showed her the phone's basic features and gave her a short speech on using it only for work purposes before going back upstairs to his HR cave. Eponine played with the Blackberry, trying to figure out all of the phone's features, before Jennifer came back from lunch. She'd never had an expensive cell phone, just a cheap, old flip phone that she couldn't even really text on because it had no keyboard. This was fancy.

Eponine took her own lunch at 1, and when she came back at 2, she found Enjolras waiting at her desk.

"Ms. Thenardier, can you come to my office for a minute? I have some things to give you." Instead of waiting for an answer, Enjolras turned and walked away, leaving Eponine to follow in his wake after hastily stuffing her purse in the drawer.

"You can call me Eponine," she said as she entered his office. "I'm not very fond of my last name, to be honest."

"Hm. I feel the opposite about mine." Enjolras gestured for her to sit down and then scooted a pile of binders, folders, and loose papers at her from across the desk. "This is your homework."

"Okay. What exactly would you like me to do with it?" _I refuse to be intimidated by paper, I refuse to be intimidated by paper..._

"Learn it. These are the clients and cases I'm currently working on. While you obviously don't need to know every detail, I do need you to be familiar enough to know who these people are when they call, and which ones truly are the most urgent. Some people may say they need to speak with me right away, while in reality if they don't get a phone call until the next day, the world will not, in fact, implode. These are organized with the most important on top to the moderately important on the bottom. And if you come across someone in the next few days that you don't read about here, then consider them not urgent at all and fit them into the schedule whenever you can."

Eponine nodded slowly. "Okay. You're very organized, aren't you?" She opened the top binder, seeing meticulous profiles, notes, charts, and graphs as she quickly flipped through.

"I like to think so. Do you have plans tomorrow evening?" Enjolras was already looking at his computer screen instead of her.

For a moment, Eponine was a bit taken aback. _He's not asking me out, is he? No way... _"I don't have any plans, no."

"Would you be able to come to dinner with myself and a client? I'd like to have you there to take some notes for me and see how things work. The company would pay for your dinner, of course."

"Oh, um. Sure? Yes, I can do that." _Fuck, I bet they only go to fancy places. What the hell will I wear? And why did you think he was asking you out, you idiot?_

"Great. We'll leave straight from the office. You can ride with me, if you're comfortable. If not, I understand. I can get you a cab." Enjolras finally glanced over at her.

"I'll ride with you. If the Pontmercies say you're a good guy, I guess I'll trust their judgment." She smiled nervously. Damn, he put her on edge. Did this guy have a single humorous bone in his body? He seemed so damn serious _all the time._

Enjolras' hands finally stilled on his keyboard. "I forgot you know them. I haven't really spoken to them in a month or two, I've been so busy. How are they doing?"

"Really well. Cosette's dad has been a bit sick, so she's been taking care of him. But I think he's doing better now."

Enjolras frowned. "Oh. I always liked him. I'll have to give her a call soon."

Eponine nodded and stood, trying to take all of the stuff on Enjolras' desk into her arms. "I'm sure she would appreciate that." The folder perched precariously on top of the stack started to slide forward, but before it could fall, Enjolras reached out and grabbed it, putting it back where it belonged. "Thanks."

"You don't have to read all of that today, by the way. The top one would be helpful for you to know by tomorrow evening, though."

"Okay. Great. Thanks." Eponine hurried back to her desk as fast as she could without making everything topple out of her arms.

Jennifer snorted when she got there. "Is he going to quiz you on those on Friday?"

"Uh...shit, I hope not. Does he do that?" She wouldn't put it past him, actually.

Jennifer smiled, actually seeming to lighten up for the first time that day. "Not directly, no. But he's definitely going to test your knowledge in other ways. Why do you think he's had four assistants in the two years he's been working here? No one lives up to his standards, or he scares them all away."

"Oh. Well, yeah, he is kind of intimidating," Eponine admitted. "But I don't scare easily."

"That's what the last girl said on her first day, too. She was gone in a month."

"I really need this job. Like, really, really need it. He'll have to fire me before I quit." Eponine started organizing the pile, noticing that Enjolras had placed different colored post-its on the front of each binder or folder - red sticky notes for the most important cases and yellow for the moderately important ones. She wondered what factors designated a case's importance in the first place.

"Well, good luck."

_I won't need good luck_, Eponine thought stubbornly. _It was good luck that I got the job, but I'm going to keep it by impressing the hell out of him._

* * *

As soon as she got home the next night, Eponine called Cosette, who had been texting her all day wondering how things were going so far.

As soon as Cosette answered, Eponine exclaimed, "Holy _shit_, Cosette! You guys didn't prepare me nearly enough for this guy! And hi."

Cosette's bubbly laugh filled Eponine's ears. "Hi! And what_ever_ do you mean?"

"He's fucking brilliant. I had no idea. I mean, I knew he was intelligent, but he's doing really, really important work. We had a business dinner tonight and just...wow." Eponine flopped onto her bed, staring up at the ceiling.

"He's very dedicated, I know that. Can you tell me what he's working on or is it a big secret?"

Eponine scrunched her nose, thinking. "Uh...I guess I can't say too much. But he's working with Amnesty International on a few things, consulting on cases and whatnot. He's like...really, _really_ into this whole universal human rights thing. Not that that's bad! But seriously, he lights up like a Christmas tree when he gets going on it. I could barely keep up taking notes tonight. I don't think the other guy could, either, honestly. He was referencing all sorts of different cases and rulings and laws and totally random things to build an argument. It was impressive."

"Wow. I bet it is something to see Enjolras in action. Whenever he made speeches on campus, I always stopped to listen."

Eponine sat up, kicking off her practical flats as she cradled the phone between her head and shoulder. "Speeches on campus?"

"Oh, yeah. That's how he and Marius know each other. Enjolras has always been..._passionate..._about helping those who really don't know how to help themselves, or can't. He started a club at school his freshman year and kept it going all the way through law school. They did a lot of community service work, organized protests and rallies, all sorts of stuff."

"Huh. Wow."

"So you like the job, I'm guessing?"

"What? Oh, yeah. I mean, it's got great benefits and I'm actually making decent money. I wish I wasn't a glorified secretary, but I know this isn't forever, just a temporary stop. So it's great for now."

"Good, I'm so happy for you! And besides being brilliant, what do you think about Enjolras?"

Eponine sighed, pursing her lips as she thought of a nice way to say it. "Well...he's very...serious? He's cordial? But very impersonal. Basically, for apparently liking to help people so much, he can be kind of intimidating one on one."

"That's one way to put it. I've seen him get hit on and subsequently shoot down so many people at bars it's not even funny."

Eponine laughed. "Oh my God, I can only imagine. Apparently he's had four people quit on him in two years. No one thinks I'm going to last."

"You will. Believe me, if anyone can take him, it's you!"

* * *

The next four weeks flew by. Enjolras tested Eponine only once, by asking, "Did Emily White call about the case regarding Angola?"

When Eponine promptly replied, "Well, it would be strange of her to call about that case, considering you're representing her about a completely different issue," Enjolras masked his surprise fairly well.

He smiled slowly and shrugged. "Guess you got me. Thanks for doing your homework."

When Enjolras walked back to his office, Jennifer actually gave Eponine a thumbs up, mouthing "Good job" as she finished up her own phone call. Eponine felt like she's survived some sort of initiation, since Jennifer finally started treating her a bit nicer after that, too.

Enjolras didn't really try to test her outright again, but Eponine could tell his trust in her was slowly growing. At the end of every day, he no longer checked over everything she'd done to make sure there were no mistakes, and though it had taken him nearly three weeks, he finally called her 'Eponine' instead of Ms. Thenardier.

She had one week of her trial period left when Enjolras called her into his office ten minutes before five. She knocked lightly on the door before peeking in. "Hi. You wanted to see me?"

"Yeah, hi. You weren't on your way out, were you?"

"No, not yet. It's fine." Eponine came in and sat in her usual seat. "What did you need?"

"So, I know there's one week left of this whole trial period we agreed on..." Enjolras frowned and gave her his full attention. "But I thought there was really no point in waiting."

"You're not firing me, are you?" Eponine leaned forward a bit, her hands gripping the arms of the chair. Hopefully he was just trying to freak her out with his solemn tone and expression.

Enjolras finally cracked a smile and rolled his eyes. "Do I have a reason to fire you?"

"No. I've done a pretty good job, haven't I?" she challenged.

"Yes. You actually have. So, consider your trial period over now. As long as you keep doing well, your job is secure."

Eponine grinned and bounced just the tiniest bit in her seat in excitement. "Great! Thanks! And here I originally thought I would need a full eight weeks to convince you. I managed in four."

"Thank you for proving me wrong." Enjolras leaned back in his seat, studying her intently.

Eponine cocked her head. "Seriously? You _really_ thought I was going to be that incompetent?"

He cleared his throat and admitted slowly, "Well...honestly? When I realized I did actually remember you, _specifically_ remember you taking body shots off my friend Grantaire's stomach at a party...yeah. It made me think you might not be the most reliable individual for the job."

Eponine's mouth fell open in shock. "Oh. Huh. Well...yeah. That did happen, didn't it?"

"Now you understand why I didn't recognize you right away? You look a little different when you're not downing shots and screaming on top of tables."

"Ugh, yeah. I'm a hot mess when I drink. Not that I do it very much anymore!" she hastily added. "I think I'm past that phase."

Enjolras began gathering his things, closing his laptop and putting it in his bag. "Having fun every now and then isn't a bad thing...or so people tell me."

Eponine stood and handed him a folder from the edge of his desk to put away. "They're not wrong. Have a good night, Mr. Enjolras." (Though he had finally using her first name, she couldn't make herself break away from formalities, though she kind of wondered what his first name would feel like on her lips.)

* * *

Three weeks later, on a Sunday afternoon, Eponine's cell phone rang, her little brother's name lighting up her screen. "Gav! Hi!"

"Hey, Ep. What's up?"

Eponine stifled a giggle as Gavroche's voice cracked – puberty on a thirteen year old was so damn awkward. She could tell he was going to turn out to be a good looking guy, but damn, he was so lanky and clumsy right now that she could hardly keep herself from laughing at him all the time.

"Not too much. Don't you have practice today?"

"No, it was yesterday. We have a game tomorrow at 5, so our coach told us to rest today. But that's why I'm calling – you said to tell you when I had a game. Can you make it?"

"Oh, man...Gav." Eponine sighed. "I wish I could, but I actually have to go to dinner with my boss and a client at 5. Do you have any other games this week?"

"I think on Thursday? Can you do that one?"

"Damn. I have class on Thursday nights. What about next week?" Eponine grabbed her calendar, making sure there was nothing scheduled at his usual game time of 5:00.

"I think there's another one next Monday. This is my bad, I'm sorry. I should have called sooner."

"It's okay. And yeah, next Monday is good! And what about Friday? Can I pick you up from your practice? We can do dinner. I've only seen you once in the last month. I'm a horrible sister."

Gavroche snorted. "Shut up, no you aren't. And yeah, Friday is good. Practice is over at 6."

"I'll be there."

* * *

"I won't be there," Eponine muttered to herself, getting out of her car and kicking the tire in frustration. The damn thing wouldn't start and she had no idea why. She'd had no trouble with it that morning. Maybe she'd left the lights on and the battery was dead or something.

She could use public transportation to get home, but she'd never get to Gavroche's practice in time to pick him up, considering it was already 5:30 and practice ended at 6. There was nothing she hated more than breaking promises to him, whether they were out of her hands or not.

She was in the middle of letting out a colorful string of curses when she heard her name.

"Eponine? Are you okay?"

She turned quickly to see Enjolras standing next to his own car, parked in the space next to hers, and wearing a decidedly bemused expression.

"No! My car won't start, and I'm supposed to be somewhere at 6 and just...fuck." She groaned when she realized it probably wasn't very professional to curse in front of her boss. "I'm sorry. I have a horrible mouth."

Enjolras shrugged and walked over. "It's fine. Do you need me to drop you off somewhere?"

"No, it's okay. I actually was supposed to pick someone up, so, while you could actually take me to Destination A, I still wouldn't have a way to get to Destination B. Thanks for offering, though." She leaned against the side of her car and pulled her cell phone out, about to hit Cosette's number to see if one of them could pick Gavroche up when Enjolras spoke again.

"I can take you. I really don't mind. Where are you going?"

Eponine looked up, biting her lip. "Harrell Park? I'm supposed to pick my brother up from soccer practice. And then I was just going to take him back to my apartment to feed him some dinner. But seriously, you really don't have to give me a ride. It's incredibly nice of you to offer, but..."

"No, I insist. Come on, get in." Enjolras opened the passenger door of his car for her. "I mean it, I don't mind."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely."

"Okay..." Eponine slowly climbed into his car and rubbed her temples. She definitely had a headache coming on just thinking about how much it potentially might cost to get her car fixed if it was a serious issue. It was an old piece of shit, but it was better than nothing.

"I didn't know you had a brother," Enjolras remarked as he pulled out of the parking lot. "How old is he?"

"Thirteen. I have a sister, too – she's twenty-one."

"Are you close to them?"

"I'm close to Gavroche. I used to be close to my sister, but we've both been so busy over the last few years it's hard to see each other."

Enjolras' brow furrowed when he heard Gavroche's name. "Gavroche? That's an unusual name - I feel like I know it from somewhere."

"Maybe I've mentioned him before? I don't think I have, though...so maybe you're just crazy."

Enjolras snorted and glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "That's possible."

The rest of the drive to the park was silent. Not even the radio was on. Eponine wondered if Enjolras drove around in silence all the time because there was just something _wrong _with that. How could he stand to drive with no music? He might be brilliant and fairly nice, but damn, he was boring.

As soon as they got to the park, Eponine spotted Gavroche standing at the edge of the soccer field with a lanky young guy who had familiar dark, curly hair. Eponine squinted, thinking she had to be wrong. "Wait, is that...?"

"Courfeyrac?" Enjolras finished.

"What the hell? Why is he with my brother?" She hadn't seen Courfeyrac since the weekend of Marius and Cosette's wedding, either, though she'd actually really liked him. They had a great time dancing at the reception.

"That's your brother? That must be why I knew his name. I think Courfeyrac is his coach – I don't know why I didn't put two and two together before." Enjolras turned off the car and climbed out, waiting for Eponine to join him before they walked towards Courfeyrac and Gavroche.

"Hey, Ep!" Gavroche called when he noticed them, and Courfeyrac turned, his eyes almost bugging out when he caught sight of them together.

"Enjolras? And holy shit, Eponine? _You're _Gavroche's sister?"

"Hi, Courf...and yeah." She hugged him briefly and reached over to shove Gavroche's shoulder. "I had no idea you were his coach. Small world."

"Yeah, you could say that, considering you just got out of Enjolras' car? What's going on there?" Courfeyrac wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, nudging Enjolras with his elbow.

Enjolras glared and crossed his arms. "Eponine works for me."

"Kinky." Courfeyrac grinned and turned to Eponine before Enjolras could respond. "Your brother is pretty damn good at soccer."

"I know. I have no idea where he gets it from – I can't play sports to save my life and neither of my parents can even walk a straight line. Do you have your stuff together, Gav?"

"I'll go get it." Gavroche turned and jogged back to the field, and Eponine turned to Courfeyrac again. "So you're the one who's been giving him rides home after all his practices and games?"

"Yeah, but it's no big deal..."

"It _is _a big deal," Eponine insisted. "Can I pay you back? For gas or anything? I know it must be out of your way to take him home."

Courfeyrac shook his head, putting his arm around her shoulders. "Eponine! Don't go there. He's great. And it's kind of fun turning him into my minion."

"There are worse people he could look up to," Enjolras mused. "He could be learning about body shots from Grantaire." Enjolras looked at her pointedly, one side of his mouth curving up in a smile, and Eponine gaped as she realized he was actually teasing her. She didn't think he possessed enough of a sense of humor to tease anyone.

"Can we go now? I'm starving." Gavroche reappeared, hefting his bag onto his back.

"You're always starving." Eponine introduced Gavroche to Enjolras, making a clear point that he should be on his best behavior since Enjolras was her boss.

"You know what? You can pay me back, Ep. Feed me!" Courfeyrac exclaimed. "Gav said you're making him spaghetti!"

And that was how, an hour later, they all ended up in her tiny studio apartment, eating spaghetti on the floor due to her lack of a kitchen table. It was a little cramped and awkward, but Gavroche was laughing and even Enjolras seemed relaxed, so Eponine didn't think she could ask for anything more.

* * *

_**Apparently being anxious makes me write. Who knew? And I pretty much know exactly where this story is going and how (which is rare), so I'm kind of just chugging ahead.**_

_**I swear I will get back to BtR soon, though! Thanks for reading. :)**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**it's asking for the taking**_

_**trembling, shaking**_

_**oh, my heart is aching**_

**iii.**

For the next several weeks, Eponine made sure her relationship with Enjolras stayed strictly professional. As nice as it was spending time with him outside of work, she didn't feel secure enough in her job to go there yet. She was pretty sure being friends with your boss could potentially make things really messy if something went wrong. There was no way she would risk putting her job on the line just to call him a friend.

Cosette, however, officially foiled the 'Stay Away From Gabriel Enjolras' plan by inviting him to Thanksgiving dinner. They made quite a strange little gathering, Eponine thought – Mr. Fauchelevent, Cosette's father, sat at the head of the table with Marius and Cosette on either side. Surrounding the rest of the table were Enjolras, Eponine, Gavroche, and their other friend, Bossuet, who was apparently plagued by bad luck. Eponine didn't believe him at first, but after he dropped an entire bowl of mashed potatoes down the front of his shirt, she thought it might be safer to scoot her chair just the tiniest bit further away.

Gavroche was on his best behavior, as well, probably because Eponine had promised him he could eat all of the pumpkin pie he wanted as long as he acted like he had manners and didn't try burping the alphabet at the table.

"How's your school going, Gavroche?" Mr. Fauchelevent asked during a little lag in conversation.

"Eh, it's alright." Gavroche swallowed a mouthful of turkey before continuing after a stern look from Eponine. "I get mostly A's and B's. Eponine says I have to or she won't keep paying for me to play soccer."

Enjolras glanced at her briefly, and Eponine could practically see the question in his eyes. It sounded more like she was Gavroche's mom than his sister.

"That's good, though, Gavroche. If your grades stay up and you're as good at soccer as Eponine says you are, you could maybe get a scholarship for college in a few years," Marius said.

"I'd better get a scholarship, or there's no way I'm going to college."

"Don't even say that!" Eponine scolded. "You're going. You _will _get a scholarship, but either way, you're going to college."

"Do your parents not support higher education?" Enjolras asked curiously. It was a completely innocent question on his part. Clearly, he had no idea the emotional baggage that came with talking about the Thenardiers, but nevertheless, a slightly uncomfortable pause fell over everyone as they wondered how to answer without saying too much.

"Our parents are jerks." Gavroche shrugged and stuffed his mouth with yams to avoid saying more.

"They just don't support us very much," Eponine quickly interjected. The last thing she wanted was Enjolras prying into her personal business. "They're not the most responsible people, so I take it upon myself to look out for my brother." She picked at her turkey, glancing up at Enjolras through lowered lashes.

"You've always been very responsible, Ep." Cosette smiled, and luckily, at that very moment, Bossuet nearly toppled out of his chair, which broke the awkwardness.

"I'm okay!" he called out, quickly righting himself, and saving the gravy boat in the process.

A few minutes later, Eponine almost fell out of her own chair from embarrassment when Gavroche turned to Enjolras and asked curiously, "Can I ask you a question? How old are you?"

"You technically already asked a question," Enjolras pointed out, "and I'm about to turn 28. Why do you want to know?"

"Huh. I just kind of thought lawyers were really old and boring."

Eponine felt her face heating up. "Gav..." she said in her best 'mom' voice.

Enjolras actually laughed. "It's okay, Eponine. At least four out of seven people at this table probably _would _say I'm kind of boring, Gavroche. And everyone starts out young."

"No one thinks you're boring!" Cosette reached out and patted Enjolras' shoulder.

"I do," Bossuet said quietly, and Enjolras glared at him a minute before turning back to Gavroche.

"Eponine says you're pretty good at your job. What exactly do you do?"

"Enjolras might not be able to share a lot about his work," Mr. Fachelevent gently reminded Gavroche. "It's very private information."

"It's alright. In school I studied international law, specifically international human rights. The cases I work on are about a lot of different issues, but they all have to do with the basic human rights everyone possesses, as decided on in various treaties or by the United Nations...have you ever heard of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights?"

Gavroche shook his head, his attention focused solely on Enjolras. Eponine was so surprised at his interest in the subject that she forgot she was going to tell him to leave Enjolras alone.

"What does it say?"

"Well, I'm sure you know at least a little bit about the Bill of Rights from our own Constitution?" When Gavroche nodded, Enjolras continued, "After the atrocities of World War II, many countries that were a part of the United Nations came together to draft the freedoms they thought every citizen of the world should have. Many countries signed it, and while it's not legally binding, it's what I can often use to draft my own arguments."

"Can you tell me about a case you've worked on before?" Gavroche put his fork down, his food forgotten. Cosette shot Eponine a warm smile, and Eponine smiled tentatively back. She wasn't sure what to think – who the hell was this kid that had replaced her brother?

"I can actually tell you about one that's very public right now, and has been for quite a while," Enjolras said, and was clearly about to launch into an explanation when he suddenly stopped and looked sheepishly around the table. "...but I shouldn't. It's Thanksgiving, I'm sure no one wants to hear me talk."

"Actually, I kind of do," Eponine admitted, and Enjolras looked at her in surprise.

"Yeah, it's been too damn long since I've seen you get all hot and bothered by a cause," Bossuet grinned, and Marius nodded in agreement.

"Please, Enjolras, I'd actually like to hear, as well," Mr. Fauchelevent said.

Enjolras smiled and shrugged in acquiescence before beginning. "Of course. I don't know how familiar any of you are with the Angola 3?"

"What's an Angola?" Gavroche asked.

"It's a prison," Eponine reminded him. "The Louisiana State Penitentiary. It's the largest maximum security prison in the country; Angola is its nickname. Remember when we went to the Angola rodeo a few years ago? I bought a painting there one of the inmates painted."

"Oh, yeah! Okay." Gavroche nodded at Enjolras to continue.

"I'm working with Amnesty International on a campaign to try and get a prisoner released from solitary confinement in Angola. Back in 1972, three African American men who were prisoners there were convicted for the murder of a security guard. These men were held in solitary confinement for years, with very little to no evidence to _actually _link them to the murder. One of them was released after twenty-nine years and has been very vocal about the inhumane conditions they lived in. They've also maintained their innocence as far as the crime goes since 1972. Another of the men was released after forty years because he was dying of cancer, and _did _die only three days after getting out of prison. The last man is still being held in solitary confinement today."

Gavroche's brow furrowed. "Yeah, but _did_ they do it? Did they kill the prison guard?"

Enjolras shrugged. "Does it matter? I want you to think about it and decide for yourself – even if they did participate in his murder, does forty years of solitary confinement fit the crime? Are those humane conditions, or does it directly violate their Eighth Amendment right against cruel and unusual punishment?"

"Well...you think it does," Gavroche said, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms. Eponine could barely keep herself from smiling. This was a side of Gavroche she had really never seen before.

"Yes, I do. But that doesn't mean you can't have a different opinion. You should just have all the facts before you make up your mind."

"Where can I learn them then?" Unfortunately, Eponine had just taken a sip of iced tea as Gavroche asked that whopper of a question, and Bossuet had to reach over and pat her on the back to make sure she didn't choke.

"You're asking him where you can do research? For _fun?_" she wondered. "Are you feeling okay?"

Gavroche looked at her and grinned, shrugging. "I'm smart."

Enjolras was clearly in his element, and couldn't keep his own grin from spreading across his face. Eponine was tempted to call Courfeyrac later and tell him to watch his back – if Gavroche kept acting like this, he'd want to quit soccer and start wearing a suit and tie every day. He might have just found a new man to idolize.

"You'll find a lot of articles and information on the internet if you just Google search the 'Angola 3,' and there's also some documentaries made about these men. Just remember that everyone has an opinion and _most _media outlets put their own spin on things. It's my job as a lawyer to read between the lines, ask questions, and not form my own opinion until I'm sure I've gotten all of the facts."

"Being a lawyer actually sounds kind of interesting," Gavroche admitted. "It would be fun to argue with people in a courtroom all the time."

After almost another thirty minutes of conversation directly between Enjolras and Gavroche, dinner was finally over. Eponine was actually disappointed. As she'd watched Enjolras' attention focus solely on her brother, and saw him talk to Gavroche like a highly intelligent and capable human being and not just a kid, Eponine's stomach had twisted itself into knots.

How had she ever thought Enjolras was _boring? _His eyes sparkled with animation and his voice was rich with passion and knowledge. He didn't preach at Gavroche, but encouraged him to think for himself and to keep feeling curious. She could see what Cosette meant now about stopping on campus to listen to his speeches – she probably would have stopped, too, if she had heard such fiery and eloquent words spoken by someone like him.

Hearing him talk also reminded her how lucky she was to be working for him. Her position didn't _directly _have anything to do with her degree in social work, but she was still _indirectly_ involved with helping others through the work he did. Hers wasn't a meaningless job.

Later that night as she helped Cosette put away leftovers, Cosette said slyly, "So...Enjolras. That was _really _great how he was talking to Gavroche, huh?"

Eponine rolled her eyes to herself since it was painfully obvious what Cosette was getting at, but answered honestly anyway. "It was. Gav needs positive male role models like him. I was surprised he even started asking questions, though; I had no clue he was curious about what it's like to be a lawyer."

"He was keeping up, too. Marius is right – soccer really could be his ticket to college, but once he's there, the sky's the limit."

"If my parents don't fuck things up for him first," Eponine sighed. "Which is all together too possible."

Cosette frowned and looked at her sympathetically. "It's a big responsibility and I would never tell you that you _should _do it or have to...but have you ever thought about having Gavroche move in with you?"

"Of course. I've been trying to save for it forever, but shit always comes up. It's expensive to move in the first place, but trying to find a decent two bedroom place is almost impossible. And you need first month's rent and last month's rent all at once...and then things like my car breaking down happen and I have to spend all of my savings to get that fixed."

"You know, if it's something you really want to do, Marius and I could loan you the money. I know you'd pay us back."

Eponine smiled, but shook her head. "I appreciate the thought, Cosette, but you know how I feel about money. I don't like taking things from people. And I'll get enough saved eventually – it's much easier now that I'm making more."

"You know you can always change your mind."

"I know."

* * *

Later that night, they had barely climbed into the car before Eponine turned to Gavroche and exclaimed, "What the hell, Gavroche?! Where did all of those questions for Enjolras come from?"

Gavroche shrugged and leaned forward to mess with the radio. "I just wanted to know. I know you work for him, so I wanted to know what he did."

"Not that he minded, because I think he actually really liked talking to you, but you know you could have asked me way before now about my job. Or his job."

"I know. I wanted to talk to him, though. He's Courf's friend, but he's really different than him. He was really quiet that night we all ate spaghetti."

"Yeah, he can be quiet. He's observant, I think – that's probably a good trait to have as a lawyer." Eponine pulled away from the curb, inwardly wincing as she thought about the difference between the neighborhood they were currently leaving and the one she had to take her brother back to. Maybe she shouldn't have been so quick to dismiss Cosette's offer to borrow money.

"So do you think he's hot?"

It took Eponine a moment to gather her thoughts and realize what Gav said. "What?! Gavroche!"

"What?!" He snickered at her. "I know you totally do. I saw you staring at him that night, when he rolled his sleeves up before we ate. You were practically drooling."

"Oh my God." Eponine was mortified, mostly because Gavroche was completely right – she did think Enjolras was ungodly attractive. She just didn't know how obvious she had apparently been in her admiration. "I...well. It doesn't matter whether or not I think he's cute! I work for him and that's a line we _can't _cross. Like you said, Gav, you're smart – you should _know that._"

"What if he thinks _you're _hot?"

"He doesn't. He's never given even the slightest indication that he feels anything for me but professional courtesy. And even if he did think that, he's a good guy – he would never, ever try anything because _that's _what real mean do, Gav. They respect women."

"He can still respect you and think you're hot."

Eponine sighed. Maybe there were some things that would just sink in with age. "Look, I'm glad you like him. He's a good person. But if you're thinking something crazy about us then you need to stop. _Nothing_ is happening between Enjolras and I and the only reason I see him outside of work is because I'm on the edge of his circle of friends. He's never asked to do anything with me outside of work, and he won't because it's just...it's crossing a line."

"And what about the spaghetti night, huh? You were alone with him then," Gavroche said smugly.

"My car wouldn't start! I wouldn't have been alone with him if it weren't for that. And then I didn't want to invite everyone _but _him to hang out, that would have been rude."

"Whatever you say."

Eponine pulled up in front of her parent's run down house, her heart constricting in her chest at the thought of leaving Gavroche. She felt guilt settle over her like a physical weight every time she brought him back here, but she ignored it for now and turned to him seriously. "I need to make this really clear to you – there is nothing going on between me and Enjolras. Nothing _will _go on. And I won't let you see him again if you keep talking about it or try to make things awkward for us. I need this job really bad and if I lost it, I'd be devastated. So please drop it. Okay?"

Gavroche searched her face for a minute, but finally relented when he realized how serious she was. "Fine," he huffed. "I get it. But you should date a guy like him. You're not getting any younger, you know. Isn't your biological clock ticking or something?" His signature grin was back.

"Jesus, get out of my car, you little jerk," Eponine teased, shoving him towards the door.

Gavroche laughed and sprang out of the car, waving to her over his shoulder as he disappeared inside. Eponine's smile faded as she stared at the dilapidated house after it swallowed him up. It looked like it might fall over with one good gust of wind. The paint was peeling so bad it was impossible to tell what color it was supposed to be, siding was completely missing in places, and the roof looked suspiciously sloped. The screen door was pathetic, only hanging on by one measly hinge at the top.

Eponine swallowed around the lump in her throat as she drove away and made a promise to herself that she would work her ass off to get Gav out of there within six months. As irritating as he could be, he deserved better. He deserved the world. Gavroche could be a man like Enjolras someday – someone with an education who cared about making the world a better place. Someone who was confident and respectful, with a calling that would make him happy. Her heart ached painfully to think about him being anything less than happy, but imagining him turning out successful like Enjolras – no matter what he chose to do – made her heart feel like it would burst from joy. She hoped she wouldn't have to go so far as to insist Gavroche not see Enjolras, because if there were any two guys in the world she would choose to help mold him into a young man, she couldn't think of anyone more fit for the job than Enjolras and Courfeyrac.

* * *

_**Hello again! First of all, thank you so much to everyone that has reviewed and put this story on their favorites list. The response has been much better than I expected it would be and I really appreciate it!**_

_**Also, a little health update - I got my test results back and everything is fine. Whoohoo! Thank you so much to everyone that sent good energy my way, along with the messages here and on tumblr. They definitely eased my mind a bit while I was waiting!**_

_**You guys are amazing! Hopefully I'll have another update for you soon. I can't seem to stop writing this one! :)**_

_**~Aimee**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**we're coming to the edge,**_

_**running on the water,**_

_**coming through the fog,**_

_**your sons and daughters**_

**iv.**

Eponine was so sick of Christmas music she could scream. The Monday the law office reopened after Thanskgiving, Jennifer put on a Christmas Pandora station and the damn thing hadn't been turned off since. If she saw Frosty the Fucking Snowman on the street, Eponine refused to be held responsible for her actions, and his little snowy ass would be done for.

She was eternally grateful, however, that for the first time in eight years, she wasn't working retail for the holiday season. In addition to her waitressing or barista jobs, she had always picked up extra shifts at any store in the mall that would hire her. There was a special place in hell for cranky Christmas shoppers. So, if she had to make a choice, Eponine guessed she would choose listening to Jennifer's Christmas music over working in the mall any day.

But still, the soft classical music of the restaurant Enjolras' work colleague had chosen for dinner was a really nice change. She sighed happily as she sank down into her chair at a small, intimate table in the corner. "Thank God there's no Christmas music playing."

Enjolras grinned. "Not a fan?"

"I am for the first week or so...after hearing 'All I Want For Christmas is You' five million times, however, no."

"Agreed." Enjolras fell silent as he looked around the restaurant, and Eponine did the same. This place was different than the places people usually picked for business dinners – the lighting was dim and romantic, with candles placed on every table, and the waiters were even dressed up. Thank God Eponine had actually splurged and bought a new dress the other day or she would have been painfully underdressed even in her nicer work clothes. It looked as if there were several couples on dinner dates scattered around them.

"This place is a bit...different...than where we usually go," she remarked.

"I know. This is my first time here, or I probably would have suggested somewhere different. We're surrounded by couples." Enjolras shrugged and checked his phone. "I wonder where Mark is – it isn't like him to be late."

A few seconds later, a waiter approached their table to take their drink orders, and as Enjolras smoothly ordered what sounded like a fancy glass of red wine, Eponine panicked inside. Would she look like an idiot just asking for water at a place like this? She knew nothing about wine, which was apparently what every single person in the restaurant was drinking, she confirmed after a quick glance around.

Almost as if he could read her mind, Enjolras asked, "You like white wine, right?" When Eponine nodded, he ordered for her, as well.

"How did you know I prefer white wine?" she asked once the waiter left.

"The first time we were at dinner, it's what you got and you wrinkled your nose at my glass of red. I just assumed."

"Oh." There he went, being all observant again. "Well, thanks. I never really know what to get at places like this. Not that I've ever actually been to a restaurant this nice before."

Enjolras was about to respond when his phone buzzed with a text. He read it and scowled. "Shit. Mark just canceled. Apparently his son is sick."

"Oh...well, that sucks. I was looking forward to my free dinner!" She meant it jokingly, but Enjolras frowned as he looked back up at her from his phone.

"I'm sorry. I guess that's just one of those things that comes up, but I wish I would have known sooner and saved you the trouble of coming here."

"It's alright. No harm done. I need to catch up on my DVR, anyway." Eponine reached over to pick up her purse, but stopped as the waiter came back with their two glasses of wine.

"Have you decided what you're going to have tonight?" he asked expectantly.

"Oh, uh, we were actually..."

"I'm still deciding, can you come back in a few minutes, please?" Enjolras interrupted. As the waiter walked away, Enjolras turned to her and asked, "Would you like to stay and have dinner with me?"

Apparently alarmed at the look on her face, Enjolras hastened to add, "Not like a date! I just meant, we're here, we already have wine, and we were planning on a good dinner. We could just stay? If you want to?"

Eponine bit her lip and slowly let go of her purse, leaning back in her chair. "Um. I...that isn't weird? I mean, I don't feel weird about _you_, but just...is it really okay to have dinner with me? I work for you."

"We're not doing anything inappropriate. We didn't plan it, and even if we did, there's no law that says we can't be friends outside of work. We've done things together before, kind of? I understand if you don't want to stay, though, it's alright."

Eponine studied him for a minute, a little surprised by what she thought looked something like nerves or insecurity in his eyes. Maybe she was making way more out of this than she needed to. "I would like to stay," she finally agreed, and Enjolras visibly relaxed.

"Good."

They both ordered when the waiter came back again, and after a few minutes of decidedly awkward conversation that made Eponine wonder if she should have actually gotten up and left, Enjolras asked curiously, "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"How old are you?"

Eponine smiled, remembering how Gavroche asked him the same question at Thanksgiving dinner.

"I'm 24. Why?"

Enjolras frowned. "And your brother is 13?"

"Yes, why?"

"No reason. I just kind of wondered...I thought you might be older than I thought originally," Enjolras admitted. Eponine's eyes widened as she realized what he was getting at.

"Oh my God. Did you think he was my kid?"

"Maybe...I wondered. I mean, it seemed like you have a very maternal relationship with him. If you were my age or a little bit older, it wouldn't really be so far-fetched for him to be yours. You would have been young, but it happens."

Eponine downed the last of her wine, wincing. "Jesus, does that mean I look old? I really look old enough to have a thirteen year old kid?"

Enjolras snickered at her reaction. "No. That's why I asked."

"Well, _no._ He is definitely my brother. Although I don't think my mother ever changed a single one of his diapers, so, you know what? I should say he's mine. Maybe I could claim him on my damn taxes or something," Eponine mused.

When the waiter brought their food out, Eponine didn't say no to another glass of wine, and neither did Enjolras. Conversation seemed to flow a lot easier with a little bit of alcohol.

"So...you're 24," Enjolras remarked. "And you just graduated college?"

"Yes. It took me a little longer, I know. I had to take some time off to work."

"So you really didn't get any help from your parents?" Enjolras looked skeptical, which was kind of a typical reaction whenever Eponine explained to people that she was _really _on her own, and it always rankled a bit.

"No, I didn't," she said shortly. "I haven't lived at home since I was 18, and I would have left sooner if it wasn't for Gavroche. And just for your information, I'm trying to get him out of there and with me, too, because when I say my parents are assholes, I _mean _my parents are assholes."

Enjolras held his hands up. "Okay. I believe you. I'm sorry. It's just...you seem to have it really together for someone who comes from that kind of situation."

"You'd be surprised," Eponine said drily. "I'm not a basketcase or anything, but I've got issues. We all do."

"Can I ask..." Enjolras began hesitantly, "what is so bad about them? Are they abusive?"

"Yes, more or less." _Why the hell am I telling him all of this? He doesn't need to know!_ Ignoring the voice in her head, Eponine continued, "They're involved in a lot of illegal things – mostly drug related. But I suspect my dad has committed his fair share of armed robbery, as well. They're just the worst kind of people. If he's drunk or high, my dad can be physically abusive, but they're mostly neglectful, which is why I take Gavroche as much as I can. If I didn't, he'd be out on the streets doing God knows what _all _the time."

"I don't even know what to say to that," Enjolras said softly. "That's a lot to handle, and you do it gracefully."

Eponine blinked at the sincerity of the comment, and the word _gracefully. _That was an adjective that she would normally associate with Cosette and not herself, but coming from Enjolras in context, she could see the truth in it.

"Thank you." She felt her cheeks flush, but definitely not from embarrassment.

"So, I've seen your apartment. There's definitely not room for Gavroche there."

Eponine laughed. "Geez, you have a way of cutting straight to the point, you know that? And yeah, I know. I'm saving to try and get a two bedroom somewhere, but it's hard to find something affordable. And it's actually really expensive for Gav to play soccer, which I really want him to keep doing. He idolizes Courfeyrac. And you," Eponine added.

Enjolras' eyes widened a bit. "Me? He's only met me a few times."

"I know, but he won't stop talking about you. He asks me how you are every time I see him. He really likes you."

"Oh." It was Enjolras' turn to blush, and Eponine silently scolded herself for thinking it was cute. "Well, that's...surprising."

"So now that I've divulged my secrets, what are yours?" Eponine swiftly changed the subject, leaning forward conspiratorially.

"I'm afraid I don't have any. I'm pretty boring."

Eponine laughed. "Oh, right! When I _really _think about it, I barely know anything about you except for the work you do. That obviously tells me about the kinds of things you care about, but I know nothing other than that."

"Well, what do you want to know? I promise, there's really not a whole lot to tell." Enjolras looked a little bit more uncomfortable now that they were talking about him, but Eponine pressed on, anyway.

"Do you have siblings?"

"No. I'm an only child."

"We know my parents are douchebags, so how are yours?"

"They're great, actually. I probably don't see them as much as I should. My dad works for a software developer and my mom is a high school history teacher."

"So how did you _become _what you are?" Eponine gestured at him, trying to convey something she struggled to put into words. "I mean...you're very put together. You're incredibly intelligent, and you do amazing work to help people. And you can wear the hell out of a suit."

Eponine clamped her lips shut, embarrassed beyond belief at her last admission. Apparently, two glasses of wine made her completely lose control of her motor functions.

Enjolras blushed again, but laughed, and took it in stride. "Thanks? And honestly? I have a very specific story that made me start thinking about issues of inequality, but it can sound really contrived, so..."

"Please, tell me. I'd love to hear it. Before I say anything else inappropriate and embarrassing."

"Okay. Well, when I was a kid I went to a really nice, private elementary school. It had great teachers, always had really high test scores, and mostly everyone there was pretty well off, considering it was an expensive school. When I was in third grade, they started offering scholarships to kids from other schools who were considered 'in need' and who were outperforming their peers in their current environment. So, a kid named Devone started the school year with us, and he stuck out like a sore thumb, mostly because he was the only black kid in the grade, and one of only 4 in the school – the other three being the _other _new scholarship students. A lot of kids showed their true colors, or maybe just echoed their parents, and were clearly racist pricks, but my parents encouraged me to befriend him. Once I did, several others did, too, and eventually, Devone started fitting in really well. Am I making this too long? Are you bored?" Enjolras suddenly looked concerned as he glanced at the table.

Eponine followed his gaze and realized with a start that, not only were they done eating, but the waiter had apparently come to collect their plates while they were talking and neither of them had noticed. He seemed to sense they'd come to a pausing point in their conversation, however, because he quickly rushed over when he saw their attention not on each other for once.

"Would you care for some dessert this evening?"

Eponine was about to decline when Enjolras answered, "I would. I'll take a slice of cheesecake. Eponine?"

"Oh, um...do you have anything chocolatey?" She wrinkled her nose at the thought of anything else, and decided that since Enjolras was apparently going to indulge, she would, too.

"I have a triple chocolate cake that I think will do." Eponine nodded eagerly and turned back to Enjolras once the waiter left. "I was listening to your story, you know. Please finish it?"

Enjolras smiled and nodded, and Eponine felt a jolt of electricity run through her as she felt his knee brush hers under the table.

"Okay. So...Devone and I became good friends, along with a couple of other boys. At first, I didn't really think about our economic differences. It just didn't cross my mind as a really sheltered nine year old kid, because I'd never been exposed to anyone that was different than me, who had less or whose parents weren't educated. But halfway through the year, Devone's uncle was murdered, and this was a kid that was only a teenager, and Devone really looked up to him. He was devastated, and I remember telling my parents that I wanted to go to the funeral...but they wouldn't let me when they found out where it was."

Eponine had a feeling she knew exactly where it probably was – the part of town where she grew up, where Gavroche grew up, where violence could erupt at any given moment over any stupid argument. She just nodded in understanding.

"So, anyway, I kind of started to understand then, how different his life was from mine. And I just couldn't understand _why. _He was as smart as I was, even better at math and science. But he had to go home in fear, wondering if he was going to lose anyone else, or wondering if he and his mom would lose their housing and end up on the streets. I just...woke up to all of these issues of inequality and no one would give me any answers, or tell me how this could possibly happen in a country where we all supposedly have equal opportunities to succeed."

Eponine could tell Enjolras was getting worked up – she heard that same commanding power in his tone as she'd heard before, except now she sensed the anger that probably always fueled his passion, too.

"I realized that year, and every year since, that people that live in uneducated poverty are chained and oppressed just as surely as if they had actual physical chains on them. They may as well have. And the part that still baffles me sometimes is that many of them don't even know it – they have no clue that they're part of this oppressive cycle. And only a few people manage to escape it. People like you."

Eponine bit her lip, afraid she was actually going to cry. She had never liked to talk about or even acknowledge where she came from with her friends because it was embarrassing. Her experiences were so vastly different from their own that they couldn't even really fathom the things she had seen – yet, she _knew _that Enjolras could. It didn't feel embarrassing for him to know, but rather kind of empowering. His praise wasn't empty. It meant something.

"I...yeah," Eponine whispered, their eyes locked. "That's amazing. What happened to Devone?"

Enjolras sighed and cleared his throat, tearing his gaze away from hers. "He died. When we were in fifth grade, he was at his sister's birthday party. There was a drive-by shooting; apparently the guys in the car were after someone else at the party. But they hit Devone and his three year old sister instead. They both died."

Eponine reached out and grabbed his hand, squeezing it gently before letting go. "I'm sorry. That's horrible."

Enjolras smiled crookedly and took a deep breath. "Yeah. It's been a long time since I talked about him."

Eponine nodded and picked up her fork, trying to break some of the tension, even though it wasn't the uncomfortable kind. "Heavy topics tonight. Now I really need some fucking chocolate."

Enjolras snorted and began eating his own cheesecake, reaching over once to steal a bit of Eponine's dessert. The gesture made her heart skip a beat, because even though they'd clearly said this _wasn't _a date at the beginning of the night, it distinctly felt like one now. And it felt good.

The waiter brought the check when they finished eating, and Eponine watched Enjolras take out his wallet. _Oh, shit_, she thought, reaching out to grab his arm as he pulled out his _own _credit card, and not the company one. He always kept the company credit card in his pocket, she'd learned, and not his wallet.

"What's the matter?" he asked, confused.

"Are you paying for this yourself?" she asked, horrified. Of course he was – why in the world had she assumed the law firm would pay for it when it was clearly not a business dinner from the moment Mark canceled?

"Well, yeah. I can't use the company card, this wasn't business..."

Eponine groaned and closed her eyes. "Gabe...shit. I'm sorry." When she opened her eyes to find Enjolras grinning at her, she looked at him suspiciously. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You called me Gabe. Finally. I guess it just took me spilling my guts to get you to call me by my name." He looked distinctly pleased with himself, and it only made Eponine feel ten times more mortified. She hadn't even realized she'd done it, though she'd been calling him that in her head for weeks.

"I...I...fuck. I'm sorry. This was a bad idea. God, I'm so stupid. I didn't think about you paying for it, I _know _that was expensive with freaking glass after glass of wine and dessert..."

"Eponine, it's fine," Enjolras said gently. "I asked you to stay with the intention of paying myself. It's really okay, it's what friends do."

"Is it?" Eponine said skeptically, and she wondered if he got what she was hinting at. "Please, can I pay you back?"

"Absolutely not. _No._ I wanted to buy you dinner." His eyes held hers even as he continued in a much more uncertain tone, "And I ordered dessert because I wanted to sit here and keep talking to you."

Eponine felt her heart speed up as her stomach twisted itself into knots. This was a feeling she hadn't felt since she was a stupid teenager, talking to Marius for the first time her sophomore year of high school. _Holy shit, crushing on him is a bad, bad idea. Don't do this. Don't do it, Eponine!_

"I..." She was saved by the waiter coming to the table to take Enjolras' credit card, and she took the few seconds of his presence there to calm herself down. She refused to give into feelings like that. She could acknowledge them, but damn it, she was an adult and needed to act like it.

They didn't really speak again until they were in his car, _another _thing that felt suspiciously like a date. When he pulled up in front of her building to drop her off, Enjolras was out of the car and opening her door before she even realized what was happening. _What is he playing at? _she wondered. _He has to know what he's doing..._

If he tried to get into her apartment, Eponine _would _put her foot down. Maybe he was just putting on an innocent act when all along he'd intended to take advantage of the situation tonight. It was disappointing, she thought, and was about to tell him so when they reached the door of her apartment.

"I really didn't intend for this to be a date," Enjolras insisted very quietly. Eponine turned to face him, about to give him a piece of her mind, but stopped when she saw the sincerity in his face. "I know it feels like one now, and that's really inappropriate considering our work relationship, but I just...I hope you know I mean it. I would never try to take advantage of you that way."

He looked so damn earnest that Eponine immediately lost all resolve. She hadn't intended for it to be a date, either, but she _was _guilty of harboring a tiny crush all along, and she knew that just as well at the beginning of the night as she did now, so she wasn't completely innocent, either. And maybe he didn't even like her that way; maybe it was just the atmosphere of the restaurant, and the wine, and the topics they'd discussed that made it seem so intimate.

"I know. It's okay, really. I actually...I mean, I had a really nice time tonight, the nicest time I've had in a while. So thank you for asking me to stay."

Enjolras smiled, relieved that she seemed okay with everything. "I did, too. You're really wonderful company. So, even though this was a little awkward, I hope we really can be friends?" he asked hopefully.

"Of course, yes. I'd like that."

"Good." Unexpectedly, Enjolras reached out and pulled her into a brief hug. "Good night, Eponine." He respectfully released her and turned, heading straight back to his car.

Eponine watched him drive away, chewing fretfully on her lip. This _sucked._ This royally _sucked. _Out of all the guys in the world that she could potentially develop feelings for, it had to be her boss.

Despite the feelings of attraction that threatened to overwhelm her at the most inopportune moments, both Eponine and Enjolras kept things professional for the next several weeks. When the office closed for an entire week for Christmas, Eponine was more than relieved. She had a paper to write for grad school, presents to wrap for Azelma and Gavroche, and had to come up with registration fees and tuition for Gavroche's spring season of soccer. Despite the fact that Courfeyrac was the coach and her friend, Eponine still had to pay everything on time just like everyone else. She had at least managed to save half of what she needed to get a new apartment, though, and was determined to look on the bright side and not get overwhelmed. She had it better than she ever had before.

On the afternoon of December 23rd, the last person she expected to see showed up on her doorstep. She left her unwrapped pile of presents on the bed and gaped once the door was open. "Gabe? What are you doing here?"

Enjolras smiled and said sheepishly, "I, uh...I wanted to give you a present."

Eponine's eyes widened in momentary panic. "Oh. Um, come in? I'm sorry, it's a mess."

Enjolras stepped in and looked over at the presents on the bed, which consisted mostly of a few new shirts, two books, and a scattering of gift cards to different fast food places Gavroche could use when she wasn't around and her parents were...well, wherever.

"For Gavroche?" Enjolras asked curiously.

"Oh, yeah. It's not much, but he'll be happy. He's not greedy. And definitely doesn't feel entitled." Eponine shifted nervously from foot to foot and perched on the edge of her small loveseat, the only thing that would fit in her apartment aside from her bed. "You said you have a present for me?"

Enjolras nodded and sat down next to her, but still at a respectable distance. "Yes, I do."

Before he could say anything else, Eponine shook her head and said quietly, "I can't accept it. It just feels wrong, you know that _line _we said we wouldn't cross."

Enjolras smiled like he expected her to say that and shrugged. "Well, that's kind of what I thought you'd say. So I might have gone about this in a pretty underhanded way, which I don't think you can refuse."

Eponine raised her eyebrows. "What did you do?"

"What I got you actually isn't for you – it's for Gavroche. And I didn't think you could say no to that." Enjolras smiled smugly as Eponine's mouth fell open.

"I...what? What did you do?"

"His soccer fees are taken care of, along with his new uniform. Courfeyrac also has a new pair of soccer cleats on hold for him at the store that are already paid for – he just needs to go find his size."

Eponine blinked, astonished. "I...you...what?!"

Enjolras grinned and pulled several gift cards out of his pocket, handing them to Eponine. "I figured he could use some new clothes, or maybe some video games to keep with you and take to your new apartment. Maybe an iPad?" Enjolras shrugged. "Whatever you want to use them for. There's lots of good after Christmas sales you can take him to."

"You...I..." Eponine could barely process this. And damn, he was _right. _He had done something she would _never _refuse because it wasn't for her own benefit, but her brother's, her biggest weakness. "You sneaky fucking bastard!"

Enjolras laughed uproariously, and put the gift cards in her hands, closing her fingers around them. "I am. Are you mad?"

Eponine stared down at his hand still covering hers and bit her lip. "No..." she admitted quietly. That fact alone was incredible – she usually hated getting anything she perceived as charity. Accepting help from others wasn't easy, even when it was given freely and with no strings attached. She didn't know why it usually bothered her so much, and didn't have a clue why she _wasn't_ bothered by this enormous, sneaky, but incredibly kind and well intentioned stunt he'd pulled.

"Really?"

"I'm not. I don't...I mean, I don't even know what to say." Eponine swallowed, dangerously close to tears, and looked at him in amazement. "Thank you." She didn't trust herself to say anymore.

Enjolras nodded and squeezed her hand. "You're very welcome. I just wanted you and Gavroche to have a good Christmas."

"We will. I don't think I've ever had it as good as I do right now. I feel like I owe you so much."

Enjolras shook his head. "You don't. You don't owe me anything. You got here all on your own, Eponine. Good things happen to good people who work hard, and you're one of the hardest working people I've ever met. I'm glad I've gotten to know you."

Eponine smiled and mumbled another embarrassed "Thank you." They stared at each other for a few more seconds, her hand still in his, before Enjolras broke the spell.

"I guess I should get going and leave you to your wrapping." Enjolras stood and Eponine followed him to the door.

"I can't thank you enough, really. I hope you have an amazing Christmas." She was reluctant to let go of his hand, but finally did.

"I will." Enjolras leaned forward and ever so lightly brushed his lips across her cheek. "Merry Christmas, Eponine."

Eponine watched him start to walk away, biting her lip. She didn't want him to go, so before she could really think about the pros and cons and talk herself out of it, she called out, "Gabe, wait! Do you maybe want to stay for pizza? I owe you dinner."

Enjolras stopped and turned around, smiling slowly. "Sure, I'd love to."

* * *

_**When I say I can't stop writing, I really mean I can't stop writing. There's only five chapters left! **_

_**Please, please, please let me know what you think about this chapter because I LOVED writing it. Also, the story that Enjolras tells Eponine about the way Devone died is based in truth. A five year old little girl was killed at her own birthday party in a drive-by shooting here in NOLA, and three others were injured. You can find the news story on NOLA . com. It happened about three blocks away from the school where I teach, and she was the cousin of some of our kids. It was incredibly sad, but unfortunately, all too common.**_

_**Anyway! HAPPY SUMMER! And please review! **_


	5. Chapter 5

**_we the great and small_**

**_stand on a star_**

**_and blaze a trail of desire_**

**_through the darkening dawn_**

**v.**

The day after Christmas, Eponine took Gavroche shopping. Saying he was in heaven was an absolute understatement. Granted, he could have done without trying on all the clothes, but once Eponine told him about the Best Buy gift card that would come after, he was more than cooperative. She kept the iPad he bought at the end of the day because both of them knew that if he took it home, it would be gone as soon as their father saw it.

The next day, she had lunch with Cosette, and Eponine had never needed her advice more.

"I have a problem," she confessed as she pushed her potato salad around her plate.

"Oh? Like, a serious problem or just something you need to talk about to make it better?" Cosette asked curiously.

"I don't know. It could turn into something serious if I'm not careful."

"Well, what is it?"

"I might, _maybe_, possibly have some really crazy serious feelings for someone." Eponine sighed and pushed her plate away. She'd eaten enough, and every time she thought about Enjolras in the last few days, her stomach had tied itself into knots. He had been a complete gentleman the other night, and once again, they had a good time together, even while doing something as boring as watching TV and talking.

Cosette squealed excitedly. "And does said person happen to be a ridiculously good looking lawyer?"

"That also happens to be my _boss?_ Yes. So, please – tell me how that is squeal worthy, because honestly it's kind of making me feel like shit."

"Oh, Eponine." Cosette sighed and looked at her sympathetically. "Don't be so hard on yourself. It's not wrong to have feelings for him."

"It is! I work for him, Cosette. I am not _that kind of person._ What would people think if they found out I was interested in him?" Eponine covered her eyes and groaned. "Every single person in that office would think I'm a complete slut, probably that I'd planned all along to try and hook up with him, and I would lose my job."

"Wait, _have _you hooked up with him?" Cosette leaned forward eagerly.

"No! I haven't. And I'm not going to."

"Are you sure?"

Eponine told Cosette everything that had happened, starting with the night of the business dinner turned date. By the time she finished telling her about his Christmas gift, Cosette's eyes looked suspiciously watery. "Wow. Eponine, that's incredible. That's one of the sweetest, most thoughtful things I've ever heard! I mean, seriously, I don't think you really have _any _idea about him..."

"What do you mean?"

"Granted, I don't know him as well as the guys, but from everything Marius has said, Enjolras just doesn't really _date_. They wondered if he was actually gay for a while, but Courfeyrac showed up early at his house once and there was a girl there that he had obviously spent the night with. But what he just did for you? That sounds like some serious feelings. People don't just do that for someone they don't care about!"

Eponine rolled her eyes skeptically. "He would. He's incredibly kind, way more than I think anyone knows. And we also haven't really known each other that long. But...I mean, I know I have feelings for him, and he's given every indication that he feels the same way for me, so I think you're right. I just don't know what to _do. _Ugh, this is so confusing."

"I don't know that it's really that confusing," Cosette said gently, "I think you just need to decide what you're going to do about it."

"I feel like I don't have many options..."

"Well, let's think about it. I guess you could always sleep with him and start a relationship, and hope that no one at the office finds out...and wait for it to blow up in your face. You could be strictly friends, and keep things professional. You could ignore him completely except for at work and make it clear to him that you can't see him outside of it if you want to keep your job. Or...you could try to find another job so that you can actually date him and not be scared of the repercussions?" Cosette ticked each choice off on her fingers as she said them.

"I don't like any of those options," Eponine mumbled. "The last one is the most appealing, but what if I can't find something else that's as good? I have to keep making the same amount of money; I'm finally getting somewhere financially, and by the end of February, I'm going to have enough saved to get an apartment for me and Gavroche. I can't risk losing that. Gavroche is my number one priority and I can't do anything that might hurt him."

"Well, if you can't risk losing your job, then option number one is off the table, too," Cosette said sternly.

"I know. So that leaves either being just friends or giving him the brush off."

"Can I tell you what _I _think you should do?"

"Don't you always?" Cosette pretended offense and lightly kicked her underneath the table.

"Not unless you ask! And I think that you should be friends with him. You like each other, and while you _do _work for him now, you're not planning on it being forever. So, if you haven't met someone else by the time you quit or he hasn't, the potential to make it something more is there. And by that time, you should know him well enough to know whether or not you want to go there. Now doesn't that sound like the most grown up choice?"

"It does. The thought of being with him is like...God, I don't even know. I've never, ever felt so attracted to someone, and _not _just in a physical way. It's going to be really hard to be just friends with him, but it's better than the thought of seeing him at work every day and pretending I have no interest in him at all. I don't think even _I'm _a good enough actress for that." Eponine sighed dramatically and nudged Cosette's leg with her foot. "Thanks for listening to me. Again."

* * *

The next Monday at Gavroche's soccer game, Eponine did a double take as she noticed Enjolras walking across the field towards her. "You have a habit of turning up in unexpected places," she remarked as he got closer.

"Hey, I'll have you know I was invited." Enjolras waved to Courfeyrac and sat down next to her on the bleachers.

"By who?"

"Your brother – he called yesterday to thank me for the Christmas gifts and asked if I wanted to come. Of course I said yes."

Enjolras nudged her shoulder with his and she wrinkled her nose. "Wait, Gavroche called you? How the hell did he get your number?"

"You didn't give it to him? I figured you told him to call and say thank you."

"Nope, it wasn't me. I was going to make him get you a thank you card. I have no idea how he got your number. Did he harass you too bad?"

"He said nothing you would disapprove of," Enjolras said reassuringly. "He did tell me he's having trouble with math and social studies, though. I may have told him I would tutor him on Thursday afternoons at your apartment. If that's okay with you."

Eponine's eyes widened. Where did this man come from? Was he a fucking saint? "What?! Gabe, you don't have to do that! You're so busy with work, I don't even know that you have the time."

"I should make the time," Enjolras said. "I've been working so much the last few years I haven't had time for much else, but maybe it's time that stopped. Just a bit."

"Maybe you're right. When you're actually out in the world, you're a _lot _less boring than I originally thought you were," Eponine teased.

They watched the rest of Gavroche's game and made small talk, and true to his word, Enjolras left work early starting that Thursday and began tutoring Gavroche, who, come to find out, had innocently gotten Enjolras' number from Courfeyrac. Though she hadn't intended for it to become a habit, cooking dinner for Enjolras and Gavroche on Thursdays became a quickly established routine. She didn't mind at all since she actually liked to cook, and Enjolras admitted he rarely got home cooked meals since he had no clue how to cook himself. They were comfortable together, and it was easier than she imagined to just be his friend. He never made her feel awkward or threatened in any way, and she trusted him completely because of it.

At the beginning of March, after successfully saving enough money all on her own, Eponine moved into a new apartment with Gavroche. Her parents had no problem with him leaving – her mom even went to his middle school with her and officially changed his address and emergency contact information. The less the Thenardiers had to do with him, the better, apparently, and while it made Eponine sick to see how little her parents cared about their children, she was ready for the responsibility of handling Gavroche all on her own.

Every single person Eponine had met first through Marius, and then Enjolras, showed up to help her move, some even bringing pieces of furniture from their own homes for them to keep, since it was very different trying to fill a two bedroom apartment with furniture rather than a studio. Jehan and Grantaire even helped her refinish an old beat up kitchen table and chairs, which ended up being her favorite piece of furniture in the apartment.

On their first night in their new home, Eponine sat Gavroche down and decided to lay some ground rules.

"Okay, kid. So, I know we spend a lot of time together, but it's been a while since you actually lived with me. I don't want to be a total hard-ass, but I also don't really care whether or not you think I'm cool or whatever, so..."

"Well, I already think you're crazy, so..." Gavroche grinned cheekily and propped his feet up on the kitchen table.

Eponine knocked them down before saying seriously, "Okay, be serious for a second. We have to set some rules, and I know you aren't very used to having any. But I promise I'm not going to say anything unreasonable. Okay?"

When Gavroche nodded, Eponine continued. "First, I'm getting you your own cell phone." She held up a hand when he gasped excitedly and said, "Hold up, there's a catch! There's a limit on it – you're only going to get 250 minutes of talk time a month, and you have a limit of 250 texts. For now. We'll see if we need to add on in a month or two, but until then, if you go over either of those things, _you _will be paying the extra on the bill in the form of manual labor. Got it?"

"Sure. What else?"

"You have to call me every single time you want to go somewhere. I know you're used to wandering wherever you want when I'm not around, but that needs to stop now that you're living here because I can't handle worrying about you every five minutes. So, if you want to go home with a friend after school, that's fine, as long as you call and tell me first. And I need to start meeting your friend's parents. If I think somewhere isn't appropriate for you to be, then I reserve the right to tell you that you can't go there."

Gavroche frowned at that. "Uh...okay. I guess."

"Seriously, Gav, as long as you _call me, _I really don't think that will be a big deal. And last...as usual, school comes first. You're used to that one, though, with soccer, so homework needs to be done before you do anything else at night. As long as you follow those basic rules and clean up after yourself around here, we should be okay. Any questions?"

"Do I get to have friends come here?"

"Sure – although I'll warn you. Some parents might not like it that I'm so young, so they might be weird about it. But I'll try to win them over."

"Do _you _get to have friends over?" Gavroche wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and Eponine blushed.

"Gavroche! What the hell?"

"I don't mind if you do. You know, if you and Enjolras, or _Gabe _as you call him, want to have a little sleepover, it's cool. I know he likes you. And I'm pretty sure you want to jump him."

"Oh my God. We are done with this conversation. Done!" Eponine covered her ears and hurried out of the kitchen as Gavroche made kissy noises behind her.

* * *

In early April, Enjolras waltzed out of his office one day at 5:30, once everyone but Eponine was gone, and perched on the edge of her desk. "So, are you going to ask me why I'm in a good mood today?"

Eponine looked up at him and narrowed her eyes. "You do seem unusually joyful. What happened?"

"I just bought a house."

Eponine gasped. "What?! No way! I didn't even know you were looking!"

"I didn't tell anyone. I didn't know if it would actually happen or not. But yeah, pending inspections and whatnot, I close in 10 days – quick closing brought the price down. I'm going to go sign papers tomorrow."

"Wow. Where is it? Is it nice?"

Enjolras winced and slowly shook his head. "Uh...well. Nice isn't really the right word for it. More like I'm going to have to gut the whole thing and start from scratch. I don't think it's been touched since the '70s."

Eponine laughed. "It sounds like a big job, but it could be fun to decorate and choose all new materials and stuff. Congratulations, by the way."

"Thanks." Enjolras hesitated a minute, then said quickly, "I was hoping maybe you would help me with some of that? I don't have the best taste, and I saw what you did with your apartment even with not a lot of resources...but...Is that weird? Is it weird to ask?"

"It's not weird," Eponine reassured him. (Even thought it was a little weird – it felt very much like task a 'girlfriend' would do). "I'd be happy to help."

And help she did; within three weeks, she had helped Enjolras pick out new hardwood floors, appliances, and convinced him to go with light colored quartz countertops for the kitchen. Whenever Courfeyrac saw her, he had started to call her "Enj's wifey" just to grate on her nerves. The worst part, however, was the way he egged Gavroche on, who had started to call Enjolras "my new daddy" because he liked to snicker at how red Eponine's face got every time he did. Despite that, she knew it came from a good place – Gav's adoration of Enjolras had only grown since their tutoring sessions started, and it was obvious that even with his effervescent personality and love of life, Gavroche still longed for the stability that some of his friends had.

One night after work, Enjolras brought her to the house for the first time since renovations began, but he made her close her eyes until they were in the kitchen. He held one hand and kept the other on the small of her back, helping her navigate around all of the construction in the living room.

"Okay. You can open them now." Eponine opened her eyes and gaped at the kitchen, squeezing Enjolras' hand harder.

"Oh my gosh. Whoa! This turned out so perfect!" She ran one hand over the countertops and randomly started opening cabinets, which she noticed were conspicuously missing any food. Typical. "Gabe, this is so, so beautiful! It's completely transformed."

"I'm glad you like it, since you talked me into most of it."

"I think you need to go to the grocery store, though." She peeked at him from around the door of the refrigerator, which was almost as empty as the cabinets, except for a lone bottle of water on one shelf.

"Eh, yeah. Maybe I should actually learn to cook now that I have this beautiful kitchen." Enjolras shrugged and leaned against the counter, watching her with amusement.

"If I had a kitchen like this, I would cook every single day. It wouldn't even feel like a chore here." Eponine closed the fridge and walked back over to Enjolras, hopping onto the counter next to him, which put them mostly at eye level with each other.

"Hm, well...maybe I could fire you at work and hire you here as my personal chef. Then I could get out of cooking forever." He leaned closer to her, his hand dangerously close to her knee.

Eponine bit her lip, feeling the temperature rise about ten degrees, but she ignored the warning signs going off in her head. They had done _so good _over these last few months at just being friends, but it was getting harder by the day. They had both been finding excuses to innocently touch each other – on the shoulder, hands brushing, legs touching while they were at dinner – but while they were at the office, Enjolras avoided her like the plague, and Eponine was glad; she had a feeling that even though they hadn't really talked about their relationship since before Christmas, they were on the same page when it came to how to conduct themselves at work. It was pure torture, though, being so close to him all the time and not being able to do anything about it. (Although her vibrator was getting _plenty _of use every night.) And she was getting closer and closer to just giving in, damn the consequences. She had never been a patient person, and she had _never _had someone consume her thoughts so completely as Enjolras did.

"Personal chef, right. You're insufferable enough there with other people around at the office. I'd practically be a slave stuck here in your house." Eponine lightly shoved his shoulder, but Enjolras caught her hand and unexpectedly pulled her forward on the counter, moving his body between her knees and resting his hands on her waist.

Eponine's breath caught in her throat as she laid her hands on his shoulders to steady herself. _This isn't good_, she thought, _but fuck, it really is._

This was the most physical contact they'd ever had. The desire between them immediately pulsed in the air and her heart felt like it was going to beat straight out of her chest.

"Insufferable, huh?" he asked lightly, but his gaze was anything but light as he looked at her. She stared back at him, reaching up to slowly run her fingers along the stubble on his jaw. She just couldn't resist - he looked so good, and she felt almost drunk at this sudden closeness. Eponine wasn't thinking anymore, not about anything but him. Her whole body tingled from the few places he touched.

"Yeah," she managed to squeak out. She couldn't help but wonder what his lips would feel like moving against her own, or what it would feel like to run her hands down his chest, and then lower... Enjolras' own eyes were on her mouth as his thumbs gently stroked her sides.

"Can I..." Enjolras began hesitantly, and before he could finish the thought, Eponine swiftly nodded.

"Yes. Yes." It was obvious what he wanted, and even though she'd been telling herself for months not to let it happen, it was impossible to refuse when he was right in front of her and as desperate for her as she was for him.

Enjolras leaned forward slowly and Eponine closed her eyes, desire pooling in her belly as his nose lightly brushed hers. His lips were only millimeters away when the moment was suddenly broken as his phone began ringing obnoxiously next to them on the counter. The most colorful curse words she knew started racing through her mind, but she was too shocked to do anything but whimper in disappointment. Enjolras groaned, but instead of pulling away, he sighed in defeat and pulled her closer, resting his forehead against her shoulder.

"Damn it."

Eponine squeezed her eyes shut, still silently cursing whatever God had set up that fortuitous little moment. The air had shifted again, the ringing of the phone apparently bringing back her own ability to reason. The rational side of her knew that interruption was a good thing, as it prevented the exact moment she had tried to avoid for months. Still, she couldn't bear to let go of Enjolras, either, and instead ran her fingers through his hair and down his back, trying to memorize how he felt against her.

"We shouldn't do this, should we?" he mumbled against her shoulder. There was no mistaking the disappointment in his tone.

"No. I want to, but we shouldn't." Eponine closed her eyes and asked sadly, "But can we stay like this for a minute before we decide not to do it again?"

"Please."

Enjolras buried his face in her hair and held her tightly. She fit perfectly against him, a sentiment she had never really understood before, but did now. She would have been content to just stop time, but after a few minutes, Enjolras reluctantly pulled away. He smiled crookedly at her and brushed a piece of hair behind her ear. "I'm sorry; that was definitely crossing one of those lines we said we wouldn't. And it was my fault."

"It's okay. It's not like I wasn't a willing participant."

They looked at each other for a few more moments before Enjolras said with regret, "So...I'll drive you home?"

Eponine nodded and let him help her off the counter. They didn't talk again until they were almost halfway to her apartment.

"This probably isn't the best time to bring it up, but I actually have something to ask you," Enjolras finally said.

Eponine glanced at him. "What?"

"Do you have plans next month? At the end of May?"

"Uh, that's kind of vague. Do you have a specific date? And for what?"

Enjolras pulled up in front of her apartment and turned to face her. "It's for work – I have to spend ten days in New York for meetings and a few different cases I'm working on. I was hoping you could come with me, just for work purposes, I promise. I'll be a perfect gentleman. I swear to God I won't pull anything like that again. I won't put you in any position I shouldn't. We've been able to make it work as friends so far, and while you're working for me, I swear that's all...

Eponine reached over and covered his mouth with her hand. "Stop. Seriously. We're both adults, and we're fine. I'm not going to stop being friends with you because there's this other...thing...between us that shouldn't be. I can still be professional as your assistant and handle being your friend. So yes, I should be able to go at the end of May. My classes end on the tenth."

Enjolras sighed in relief. "Okay. Are you sure? If you're not sure, I can say that you can't go because of Gavroche and it won't be a big deal."

Eponine smiled. "Gabe, it's fine. I actually _want_ to go. I've never been to New York! And, just so you know, May 22nd is my birthday. Will we be there for that?"

Enjolras' eyes lit up. "It is? I didn't know that. And yeah – we're supposed to be there May 19th through the 29th. Again, not to make things weird, but we can do something special for your birthday if you want?"

Eponine nodded. "Yeah. Of course, I'd love that."

"Okay, good. I'll let HR know and they'll get us tickets and hotel rooms and everything. And I'll see you tomorrow at work?"

"Absolutely. See you tomorrow." Eponine climbed out of the car and waved as Enjolras drove away, turning around and flopping down onto her back in the grass as soon as he was out of sight. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!"

Yep. Her damn vibrator would definitely be making another appearance shortly.

* * *

**_Ha. Fooled you last chapter and made you think the smut would be here, didn't I?_  
**

**_Hope y'all liked that little almost-kiss moment there, too. That was actually kind of painful to write - I really wanted to say screw it and make it into something more, but NO. I stuck to the plan!_**

**_I think this actually might be my most popular story? It's getting the most attention on tumblr of everything I've ever written, and I'm pulling in quite a few reviews here, too. I didn't expect that, so thank you! Honestly, getting such nice reviews and feedback feels great and very rewarding! Maybe that's why I'm churning out a chapter a day? I have no idea why that's happening, but I'll just keep writing! Enjoy the rest of the weekend. :)_**


	6. Chapter 6

_**it's asking for the taking**_

_**come run with me now,**_

_**the sky is the color of blue**_

_**you've never even seen**_

_**in the eyes of your lover**_

**vi.**

On May 19th, Eponine experienced her first plane ride, and thanks to a lovely little sleeping pill from Cosette, was knocked out cold for most of the flight. That was just fine with her, considering she was slightly terrified of flying and didn't really want Enjolras to know it. (She suspected he figured it out by her death grip on his thigh during take off, but he was nice about it, as usual.) When she woke up with her head resting lightly on his shoulder, it was to see a bird's eye view of New York City.

"Oh my God! Wow. Oh, wow. It's so beautiful!" Eponine practically plastered her face to the window. "Oh my gosh! Is that Central Park? I can see _everything!"_

She turned around to see Enjolras grinning and filming her with his iPhone, and she lightly shoved him. "Stop it! Why are you filming me?"

"Because your reaction is cute." He smiled and stopped filming, leaning closer to look out the window with her. "It is pretty awesome, isn't it?"

"It's unbelievable. I've never been to such a big city. You could spend your whole life here and never run out of new things to see."

"That's probably true. I know you made a list – what do you want to do first?"

"Shit, I don't know! I don't even care if I look like a stupid tourist – I want to see the Empire State Building and Statue of Liberty, and the MET, and Times Square...all of it." Eponine smiled, but when the plane bounced a little bit from turbulence, she quickly jumped back in her seat and closed her eyes. "I want to see all of it if I don't die here first."

Enjolras put his hand on her leg and rubbed it soothingly with his thumb. He didn't laugh, but Eponine could still hear a trace of amusement in his voice. "I never in a million years thought you'd be scared of flying."

"I'm not scared," Eponine said stubbornly. "I'll get used to it; just give me a minute."

"You've had three hours, hon." Enjolras looked at her out of the corner of his eye as she suddenly grabbed his arm as the plane dipped down for its descent into New York. Eponine's cheeks colored at the term of endearment, but not in embarrassment. She liked it, which was just another surprising thing to add to her ever growing list of surprising things when it came to her relationship with Enjolras.

Once they made it safely to the ground, Eponine could barely contain her excitement again. She was ecstatic she lived, for one, but also everywhere she looked, she saw something she'd read about or seen on TV. It was so _loud_ and busy, and unlike anything she'd ever seen, but she loved it. And Enjolras had a permanent smile on his face, too, just because he liked watching her. Apparently he had underestimated her excitement over this trip in a big way.

They made it to their hotel in once piece, and Enjolras insisted on unpacking everything first so the wrinkles would fall out of his suits. Eponine only made fun of him a little before she retreated to her own room to do the same. She put her clothes away in record time and simply stood looking out the window for a solid ten minutes. Their rooms were on the 28th floor and offered a beautiful view of the city. It hit her as she stood looking at the hustle and bustle far below that never in a million years did she think she would be where she was. Life had already had its fair share of twists and turns, some good and some bad, but her favorite surprise, so far, was undoubtedly Enjolras. Since she'd met him, he just made everything _better, _for both her and Gavroche. She couldn't imagine her future without him.

After a few more minutes, there was a light knock on the door adjoining her room to Enjolras' and she hurried to open it, letting out an uncharacteristic squeal and quickly wrapping her arms around his neck in a tight hug.

Enjolras stumbled a bit as she barreled into him and laughed in surprise, tentatively putting his own arms around her waist. "Whoa. Hi. You just saw me ten minutes ago. Did you forget I was over here?"

"I just can't believe I'm here. And we have a whole eight hours to ourselves before you need to go to sleep to be nice and rested for your meetings tomorrow."

"Eight hours, huh? So you're telling me I have to go to bed at 10?" Enjolras pulled away a little to raise his eyebrows skeptically.

"Yep. This trip is important to you, and you need to be on your game, not exhausted because I've been dragging your ass around all night." Eponine disentangled herself with a smile and grabbed a smaller bag of work stuff she'd brought with her. She pulled out a schedule of everything on his professional itinerary and handed it to him. "Just so you have it. I have more copies, too, so don't worry if you lose it."

"You're always prepared. And to think, I didn't want to hire you."

"Which clearly would have been the worst decision of your life."

"It would have been," Enjolras said seriously, and gently touched her back as he walked past her to the door. "So where to first?"

Eponine grabbed her purse and double checked to make sure she had her key before they stepped into the hallway. "I'm starving. Deli food?"

"Whatever you want."

For the next few hours, they wandered around the city aimlessly, stopping whenever Eponine saw something she was interested in. They even made it to the Empire State Building just in time to watch the sunset, which was absolutely something she would never forget. It was unintentionally romantic, too. Before going back to the hotel to settle in early, they ate a light dinner at a little sidewalk cafe, and took a minute to look over Enjolras' work schedule.

"You're pretty busy the next few days," Eponine remarked. "I'll have a lot of alone time! It kind of sucks that you have to work all day on my birthday and early again the next day. Guess I won't be getting you drunk!" Since Enjolras mentioned doing something special for her birthday the first time, he hadn't mentioned making any plans since, or even given an indication that he remembered her birthday at all. She wondered if it just got lost in the void of all the things he constantly juggled.

"Hm, that does suck. Damn." He frowned at her, and Eponine looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to say something else – a promise of celebrating another day, or some other kind of consolation, _anything._ When he just stared at her blankly, Eponine tried to disguise the sting of what felt a _little _like rejection by folding the schedule up and putting it back in her purse.

"Yeah. Oh well, I guess. There's still plenty for me to see on my own."

"I'm sorry," Enjolras said sincerely. "Maybe we can still have a late dinner that night, though – I'm done by 8."

"Sure." Eponine tried to shrug off her disappointment, but it stuck with her the rest of the night, especially when she got back to her hotel room and was faced with the very nice dress she had brought especially for her birthday. Cosette convinced her to buy it on a spur of the moment shopping spree a few days before the trip, insisting that she looked better than she ever had in it, but now Eponine deeply regretted her decision. The dress was incredibly sexy, but in a sophisticated, adult way – she looked like a woman, and not just a skinny, awkward girl. Delicate black lace covered a nude slip that hugged her figure like a glove; the neck scooped just low enough to show a demure amount of cleavage, but the real show stopper wasn't the front. The dress dipped dangerously low to expose almost her entire back, making what _she _thought was her best physical feature, her ass, look great. The back was what had drawn her to the dress in the first place – it was subtly sexy. She had admittedly wanted to stop Enjolras in his tracks by wearing it, but not everything was meant to be. At least she hadn't removed the tags yet – if she was lucky, she could even return it here in New York and forget all about it.

* * *

For the next two days, Enjolras had to work what were basically his regular hours of 8 to 5. Eponine worked a little bit in the morning, too, mostly taking calls and messages. She did quite a bit of sightseeing by herself, but didn't even really mind – going to a museum alone was kind of a treat, since she could browse on her own time and see everything she wanted. She only had to sheepishly duck into a bathroom to take a work call twice, which she considered victory.

The night before her birthday, Eponine reminded Enjolras that he didn't have anywhere to be the next day until 9, so she planned on taking advantage of his later than normal start time to give herself the gift of sleeping in and neglecting her own work a bit. Enjolras, however, apparently had different plans.

A knock on their adjoining door woke her at 7 am.

"I'm going to murder you," she mumbled once she was semi-coherent. "You can't even let me sleep in on my fucking birthday?"

Eponine threw the covers back and grumbled threats of castration all the way to the door, forgetting about her slightly embarrassing sleepwear – simply a long t-shirt with little pictures of pigs in sunglasses all over it. She opened the door slowly and was about to tell Enjolras to fuck off when he grinned with that ridiculous charm and nudged the door open farther with a little rolling breakfast cart he must have gotten from room service.

"Happy birthday, Eponine."

Eponine's eyes widened and she stumbled back, letting Enjolras farther into the room. "I...what?! Thank you...what is this?"

"Breakfast, obviously. And it's supposed to be in bed, so get back in." Enjolras took her arm and guided her back to the bed, fluffing up her pillows before gesturing for her to climb under the covers. "Nice pajamas, by the way."

"Gabe! You're ridiculous!" Eponine laughed, suddenly wide awake, but did as he asked and sat back against the pillows, looking at him with a bemused expression. "And here I thought my birthday wasn't important to you."

"Well good, then my plan worked." Enjolras put a folding tray across her lap along with a plate covered with a silver lid. "I kind of just guessed at what I thought you'd want for breakfast, so I hope you like it."

"I'm sure it will be great." Eponine removed the cover and giggled when she saw a big pile of waffles topped with whipped cream, strawberries, and blueberries. Atop it all was a single candle, which Enjolras quickly fumbled to light. "Wow! Even a candle?"

"Of course – what kind of birthday would it be without that? Make a wish, Eponine."

"Hmm...wow. It's actually kind of hard to make a wish when I have almost everything I want for the first time in my life." It felt strange to be so content, almost like she was in a dream she half expected to wake up from at any moment.

"I'm sure you can think of something." Enjolras waited patiently while Eponine closed her eyes and finally blew out the candle. She opened them to see him staring at her with what she could only describe as a loving expression. "So are you going to tell me or is it a secret?" he asked.

"It's a secret, obviously! You can't tell someone your wish or it won't come true." Eponine picked the candle out of her food and dug in, letting out a low moan of exaggerated pleasure as she took her first bite. "Oh my God. This is delicious."

Enjolras pulled a chair up next to the bed and grabbed his own breakfast from the tray. "I'm glad you like it. It's the least I can do since I won't see you all day and everything."

"Oh, yeah. That part does suck. Maybe I missed a wish opportunity there." Eponine reached out and briefly squeezed Enjolras' hand, saying quietly, "But it's okay. I know you're busy and this surprise was more than thoughtful. Don't feel too bad about missing the rest."

"Ah, so you _didn't _wish for me to be around today?" His eyes sparkled as her looked at her.

"Again, I'm not telling." Eponine stuck her tongue out playfully before taking another bite.

"Well it just so happens that I _might _have lied to you. You may have hidden your disappointment well, but a little bird named Cosette told me quite the opposite is true."

Eponine's cheeks burned. "Well of course I was disappointed. And what do you mean you lied?"

"I do have a meeting with a potential new client at 9, but I'm going to finish by noon. Then I'm all yours until noon tomorrow. 24 full hours." Enjolras almost looked nervous, like he wasn't sure whether she would have a favorable reaction or not.

Eponine slowly put her fork down, staring at him incredulously. "Are you serious? You jerk! Do you have any idea how sad I was about you abandoning me?!" Eponine reached over and punched him as hard as she could in the arm, but couldn't stop a smile from spreading across her face.

"Ow! Fuck." Enjolras rubbed his arm, but laughed. "I just wanted to surprise you!"

"Well, you did! I was so disappointed I was going to just take back the dress I bought to wear tonight! And I never buy dresses."

"I can't have you disappointed or sad now, can I?" Enjolras reached over and stole a bite of waffles and a strawberry, and Eponine thoughtfully chewed on her lip, remembering the first time he did that with her dessert at dinner. He did it all the time now, and in every single instance, it somehow turned into an elaborate fantasy that involved her feeding him with her bare hands. Naked.

"Thank you," she said sincerely. "Honestly, I mean it. I wouldn't have wanted to celebrate my birthday with anyone but you."

"You're more than welcome." Enjolras finished his breakfast and stood, leaning over to lightly brush his lips across her cheek. "I have to go, but I'll be back here by 12:30. You pick whatever you want to do this afternoon, but we have reservations at 7...and I definitely want to see you in this dress you mentioned."

There was no mistaking the look he gave her and Eponine bit her lip. Before she could think better, she said quietly, "If you have any more incredible surprises planned you might end up seeing more than that."

Enjolras' eyes widened and Eponine swore she actually saw a bead of sweat break out on his forehead. He stared at her and slowly rubbed the back of his neck, clearly torn between leaving and climbing into bed with her right then and there. "Okay, then." Eponine stifled a laugh as his voice cracked and his face turned red. "I'll see you in a few hours."

Eponine watched Enjolras leave and covered her face with her hands once the door clicked shut, laughing out of sheer giddiness. She felt like a teenage girl in love for the first time. And now she had added a healthy dose of anticipation, expectations, and _nerves _to everything she was already feeling, even though she was still conflicted as to what they should actually do. Was she really reckless enough to risk her stability just to be with Enjolras?

Probably. Because that vibrator was just not cutting it anymore.

* * *

At precisely 12:30, Enjolras arrived back at the hotel, changed out of his fancy suit, and let Eponine lead the way to Central Park. Even though he was reluctant at first, all Eponine had to do was bat her eyelashes a few times to convince him to rent a rowboat. They spent an hour on the lake laughing and talking, and things seemed back to normal. The fluttering in her stomach hadn't stopped, but lately, it always happened in Enjolras' presence.

After Central Park, they made their way to the Brooklyn Bridge to take the obligatory NYC tourist pictures there, and Eponine didn't hesitate to wrap her arms around Enjolras' waist as a stranger took their picture. Once they had walked the bridge and taken in the city's skyline, it was time to go back to the hotel to change in time for dinner. Enjolras insisted on taking a cab to save time. No matter how much she bothered him with questions, he wouldn't give her the slightest hint about where they were going for dinner.

Eponine took a quick shower and dried her hair when they got back to the hotel before finally clipping the tags off her dress, thankful now that she'd bought it after all. She shimmied into it, carefully adjusting the tight material in front of the mirror.

"Damn," she breathed once she was satisfied. She looked amazing, and that was a pretty big deal for her to admit. Her looks were always the least of her worries, but it was surprising how good it felt to look beautiful and sexy.

She turned to look at the back of the dress and frowned as she realized that if she kept her hair down, she was obscuring the whole reason for wearing it. Well, Enjolras would just have to wait a few extra minutes, she decided, and ignored him telling her they were going to be late from the other side of the door as she put on makeup and pinned up her hair. She made a face when she was finished and tried it again, cursing like a sailor as she tried to make a few curls fall around her face. She wasn't used to doing this kind of thing. When she was finally satisfied with the finished product, she grabbed her purse and jumped as Enjolras knocked on the door again just as she was about to open it.

She took a deep breath, suddenly extremely nervous about his reaction, before slowly opening the door. He was slumped against the wall across the hall, hands in his pockets and head tilted backward in a position of perfect boredom. He straightened when he heard the door open and Eponine felt her whole body flush as his eyes slowly roamed over her.

"Eponine..." Enjolras sucked in a breath and shook his head, apparently at a loss for words. His eyes widened comically the more he looked at her and Eponine noticed his hands clenched into fists at his sides. Very slowly, she turned around and coyly looked at him over her shoulder.

"Well?" she asked cheekily. "Are you happy I didn't take the dress back?"

"I...yeah. That's..." Enjolras trailed off, still staring at her, and Eponine laughed, turning around to face him again.

"I don't think I've ever seen you speechless. This is really doing wonders for my ego." Eponine stepped forward and closed the door behind her, finally noticing how good Enjolras looked himself. There were not many men that could pull off a three piece suit, but he was more than adequate for the job. The dark grey material hugged him in all of the right places and Eponine smiled in appreciation, managing to resist reaching out and touching him.

"You look stunning," Enjolras finally managed to say. His voice was lower than usual, his eyes dark. "Those words don't even do you justice."

Eponine flushed. "Thank you."

Enjolras nodded towards the elevator at the end of the hall. "Are you ready to go?"

Eponine nodded and started walking, realizing after a minute that he wasn't beside her. She turned around to face him and raised her eyebrows. "Gabe? I thought we were leaving?"

"I know. I just..." Enjolras sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He looked more nervous than Eponine had ever seen him. "You know that line we've talked about? That we're not supposed to cross?"

"Of course. I hate that fucking line."

Enjolras snorted in laughter before sobering again. "Me, too. But, Eponine, I don't...I mean...fuck." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to gather himself.

"It's okay, Gabe," Eponine said quietly. "Can we just forget about the line for a while?" She held out her hand expectantly and Enjolras only hesitated a second before taking it and intertwining their fingers.

They managed to make it downstairs without ripping each other's clothes off in the elevator, and once they were out on the street, Enjolras tugged Eponine to a stop. "Notice anything?" he asked, a grin on his face.

There didn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary, and she looked around in confusion. "Uh...no? What am I looking for?" Enjolras gestured to the street in front of them and Eponine gasped when she saw it. "A limo? What?! Is that for us?"

"Of course. We're forgetting about the line, remember?" He smirked at her and opened the door. "Ladies first."

"You are unbelievable." Eponine carefully climbed in, looking around in wonder. She had never been in a limo before – had never really cared or wanted to be, really – but it was another incredible and unexpected gesture to make her feel special that she appreciated from Enjolras.

He slid in after her and leaned forward to talk to the driver for a second, telling him in a hushed voice where to go. The driver then raised a partition to give them some privacy and Enjolras turned to look at her. The air between them felt heavy and charged with electricity now that they were in such an enclosed space; it took all of her self control not to jump him then and there.

"You really spoil me, you know. I don't deserve all of this."

"Yes, you do. You deserve more than I could ever give you, but I'll try."

Eponine bit her lip and was about to reply when the limo stopped. When the driver tapped on the glass, Enjolras reached over to open the door and said sternly, "First stop. But stay here – I'll be right back."

"Okay..." Eponine tried to watch where Enjolras went, but he disappeared up the street before she could see. About five minutes later, he slid back into the car and abruptly handed her a hot dog from a street vendor.

"Enjoy your dinner."

Eponine stared at the hot dog blankly, wondering if he was serious or not. "Uh. Okay?"

Enjolras laughed and took a bite of his own hot dog. "What, you were expecting something else?"

"Quite honestly, I never have any idea what to expect from you, so this actually fits in pretty well." She hesitantly took a bite, wondering if there was a catch to all of this.

"I'm full of surprises. I promise there's a point to this, though, which you'll understand in a few minutes. Eat up."

Eponine obediently finished her hot dog. "I'll admit it was good. But seriously, where the hell are we going if that was my dinner?"

"You'll see. It involves one of your favorite things, though," he hinted.

Eponine's eyes narrowed as she contemplated what it could be. "Another hint?"

"It's very appropriate for a birthday."

"One of my favorite things and appropriate for my birthday...I have no idea, just tell me!"

Enjolras laughed and put his hand on her thigh. "No."

"Damn it. Okay, I'm playing dirty now. You asked for it." Eponine sidled closer, turning to face him and pressing her body to his side. She laid her hand high on his leg and squeezed, satisfied when she felt him draw in a deep breath. She didn't know what had come over her.

"After all of these surprises, you decide to torture me?" He slipped his arm around her so she fit more snugly against his side.

Eponine leaned up and pressed her lips to his ear, deciding to not just forget about the line, but leave it so far behind in the dust it wasn't even visible anymore. "It's my birthday – I get to do what I want. So maybe I'll start with this..." She ran her tongue along his ear lobe and felt his grip tighten on her waist. "And then this..." She kissed his neck, beginning to nibble on his skin ever so lightly. It was hard to hold back, considering she wanted to do nothing more than climb onto his lap and kiss him senseless, but she also wanted to see just how much he could take before he cracked.

"Eponine..." he moaned softly. "If you don't stop, we're never getting out of this car."

"Hm. Maybe I don't want to." She moved her hand back to his thigh, sliding it dangerously high up his leg and then barely ghosting over his crotch. He let out a strangled grunt and closed his eyes, letting his head fall back against the seat. "But, then again, if we don't get out of the car, I won't get to see this big surprise."

Quite cruelly, Eponine abruptly scooted as far away from him as she could, crossing her legs demurely as she smirked at him from the corner of the seat. Every single inhibition she'd ever had was gone. Nothing mattered but making him happy...although she might have just succeeded in inflicting more misery than happiness with that little stunt, she figured.

Enjolras opened his eyes and glared at her. "You're evil."

"I know."

The car came to a stop and Enjolras groaned, shifting uncomfortably. "Fuck. You're going to have to give me a minute."

Eponine laughed, feeling extremely pleased with herself and ridiculously turned on just by seeing the effect she had on him. "Take your time."

After about a minute, Enjolras sighed and opened the door, getting out and discreetly adjusting his pants. He took Eponine's hand as she got out of the car, still shaking his head in disbelief. When he finally pulled himself together, he turned and gestured to the building in front of them. "I promised you would like this surprise because it has to do with something you love. So...here we are."

Eponine cocked her head as she read the sign on what looked to be a very small restaurant. "Cupcakes, cakes, and wine..." She gasped. "Oh my God, is this strictly a dessert place? Is there chocolate waiting for me in there?"

"All the chocolate you could ever possibly wish for." Enjolras grinned and looked down at her in amusement.

Eponine turned and said frankly, "You are so getting laid tonight."

"Well, that's...good to know." He pulled her closer to him and reached up to cradle her cheek in one hand, running his thumb along her jaw. His other hand rested low on her waist. "Does that mean I can kiss you now?"

Eponine nodded, taking his jacket and tugging him closer. "Please." Their lips were just about to meet when she pulled away a bit and said hastily, "But I'm getting my chocolate before any of the funny business happens."

"Eponine." Enjolras practically growled her named in frustration and she laughed. It was quickly stifled, however, when Enjolras quickly pressed his lips to hers. She closed her eyes and whimpered against his mouth, feeling like she had suddenly been struck by lightning. Her legs turned to jelly and she slipped her arms around his neck to better hold herself up, tangling her fingers in his hair.

His lips were hungry against hers, all the months of pent up frustration and flirting and drawn out foreplay being channeled into one moment. When his fingers touched the bare skin of her back, Eponine melted against him even further, pressing herself as close to him as she could. She was vaguely aware of the catcalls and whistles coming at them from the busy sidewalk, and though she was definitely not one for public displays of affection, she really couldn't care less at the moment. Finally, he tried to pull away, but Eponine's mouth followed him unwittingly, messily drawing him back to her with a quick bite to his lower lip, which only increased the ardor with which he kissed her.

When they finally parted a minute later, Eponine realized she was practically bent over backwards, locked in the kind of passionate embrace she'd only ever seen in movies. Her eyes widened as she stared at Enjolras' blue eyes, dark with desire, hovering above her. He slowly straightened and pulled her up with him.

She could barely breathe and her lips felt swollen and bruised. That was the best kiss of her life, hands down. The line was now absolutely obliterated.

It was obvious neither of them knew what to say, but the silence didn't feel uncomfortable. Enjolras smiled crookedly and gently ran one hand down her spine, making her shiver at his touch. "So. Are you ready for your chocolate now?"

"I'm always ready for chocolate." She gave him another quick, chaste kiss before pulling away and following him inside the little building. They were immediately led upstairs to a completely private room and Eponine chose a corner booth on purpose so they could sit next to each other. The menu offered every flavor of cupcake and cake imaginable and Eponine sighed in contentment as she curled into his sighed and read the choices.

"These all sound so good. I don't know what to get!"

"See why I made you eat the hot dog now? I couldn't let you eat _just _dessert."

Eponine looked at him skeptically. "Yeah, because that one hot dog made a huge difference. How bad will you judge me if I get three cupcakes?"

"Get as many cupcakes as you want; believe me, it will not stop me from fucking you into tomorrow." Enjolras smirked as Eponine gaped, her cheeks turning red once more. She couldn't think of an appropriate reply, so she simply grabbed his jacket and pulled him to her again, kissing him hard.

They broke apart only when their server cleared her throat in front of them, and Eponine apologized sheepishly. She ordered three cupcakes – a triple chocolate, chocolate peanut butter fudge, and red velvet. Enjolras echoed her peanut butter and red velvet, and then surprised her by reminding the server of the chocolate cake he'd ordered earlier to go. "For later," he said simply when the waitress walked away, "so you can have your chocolate fix tomorrow, too."

"Oh my Lord, that is amazing. _You _are amazing. I am going to let you do so many unspeakable things to me tonight," Eponine said teasingly. "Limos and chocolate and canceling all your plans just to be with me...you're really setting very unrealistic expectations for men."

Enjolras frowned said seriously, "And how many other men do you plan to have around?"

Eponine shrugged. "Absolutely none. I don't want anyone else." She smiled tentatively, a little afraid she was suddenly laying too many cards out on the table, but Enjolras' eyes softened as he gazed at her.

"You've completely turned my life upside down," he said softly. "I know in reality we've only known each other less than a year, but I feel like I've known you my entire life."

"I feel the same way," she reassured him. "And honestly, it's strange for me...I've never become so close to someone before sleeping with them. I usually fall into bed and then convince myself I have to like the person or it's wrong. It's the exact opposite with you. I want you because I _know _you."

Enjolras stroked her leg under the table and leaned over to lightly kiss her cheek. The mood was less heavy now, less weighted with their powerful desire, and sweeter. She had never been so comfortable being honest with someone.

"So before I lose you to chocolate heaven, I wanted to give you something..." Enjolras reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a suspiciously ring shaped box. Eponine's eyes widened and she sat up straighter, her heart pounding in her chest. "It's not a ring!" Enjolras said hastily, correctly interpreting Eponine's body language.

She laughed weakly and nodded, realizing with a start that she felt just crazy enough to actually fucking say yes if it would have been. _Dear God, I love him._ The thought almost knocked her over, her vision actually going black for a minute as she forgot to breathe.

"Eponine?" Her eyes snapped back to his and she took a deep breath, shaking herself out of her abrupt realization.

"I'm okay! What is it?" She took the box and slowly opened it. Inside was a necklace, in the shape of an infinity symbol; it was simple in its design, but obviously expensive and well made. And clearly bursting with some kind of cryptic, or maybe incredibly clear, message from him.

"I love it. It's absolutely perfect..." Tears stung her eyes as she stared at the necklace, slowly tracing the figure-eight shape with her finger. "Infinity, huh? Forever. What does that mean?"

Enjolras let out a shaky breath and leaned forward, kissing both of her cheeks and then her lips, murmuring, "Don't cry," against her mouth. He pulled away just enough to look at her, his hands still cupping her face. "I'm just trying to say...I mean...I'm not good at this. I've never felt this way about someone. And I know we're doing something here that is supposed to be morally wrong since you're on my company's payroll, but it doesn't feel wrong. _Nothing_ has felt wrong since you walked into my office and argued with me to get me to hire you. I'm in love with you, and I have been for a while. I _love_ you, Eponine. And I just..." he sighed in frustration and said desperately, "I never want you to think that this has been something casual for me, or just a friendship. It's not. It's anything but. You're everything to me and I will literally spend _this long..." _he gestured to the necklace, "...showing that to you."

Eponine stared at him with wide eyes, her mouth open in surprise. She stared so long he began to look worried, and asked quietly, "Are you okay?"

"I never thought I would feel this way about someone," she finally admitted. "But I love you, too. I'm not even afraid to say it. I love you." She quickly wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his neck. She could feel Enjolras relax against her, probably out of relief that everything was now out on the table. They held each other silently for a few moments, until Eponine once again felt his hands stroke her bare back.

"It feels so good to finally touch you." Enjolras kissed the curve of her neck and shoulder and Eponine tilted her head to give him better access, her eyes fluttering closed as she buried her fingers in his hair. Her skin tingled as he sucked and bit at her neck, his hands pulling her closer until she was almost in his lap.

"Gabe?" she finally moaned quietly as he sucked just below her ear. He didn't respond, instead moving one hand around her body and gently squeezing her breasts, his lips moving to her chest to kiss every bit of skin he could find. "Oh...oh, God. Gabe, stop," she whispered weakly. In another minute, she would have let him take her then and there, regardless of the potentially embarrassing consequences.

Eponine grabbed his face and brought it up to hers, turning her head away when he tried to kiss her. "Slow down there, Tiger," she teased, a bit breathless from his attention. "We're still in public."

Enjolras groaned and reluctantly moved his hands to a safer place on her waist. "I want you so much."

Eponine noticed their waitress coming and scooted farther away. "Can we get all of this to go?" she asked once the server reached their table. "I'm so sorry, we're just...preoccupied."

As soon as they were alone again, Enjolras reached for her, but Eponine batted his hands away. "Stop!" she hissed, snickering at his eagerness. "Not here!"

"I'm sorry," he said sheepishly. "I'm acting like a teenage boy that can't control himself."

"It's okay," Eponine laughed. "I like this side of you."

When the server brought all of their dessert back in a to go bag, Enjolras threw more than enough money down on the table and they hurried down the stairs and to the street hand in hand. Their driver was leaning against the car smoking a cigarette and gave them a knowing look when they appeared. "Where to now, you two?"

"Back to the hotel," Enjolras said sheepishly. "And then I think you're free to go."

"You know you paid for three whole hours, right?"

"I know. Believe me, I'm not worried about it." Enjolras grinned as Eponine tugged him into the car and shut the door. Wasting no time, she climbed onto his lap as soon as he was settled. His hands were suddenly everywhere as they kissed, his lips almost bruising. It was messy and frantic as they both fought for control, teeth and tongues clashing. When Eponine ground her hips against his, Enjolras groaned and pulled away, looking at her with dark eyes.

Eponine moved to kiss his jaw, roughly pushing his head back against the seat. When she got to his ear, she grinned and said quietly, "What would you say if I told you I wasn't wearing _anything _under this dress?"

Enjolras stilled for a minute, then abruptly reached under her bottom and flipped their positions so she was under him. He slid down to the floor of the car, kneeling between her legs, and looked at her for permission as his hands began to push her dress up. She nodded breathlessly and began to help him, whimpering impatiently.

"Your dress is too damn tight," Enjolras growled, and leaned forward to begin kissing and licking the inside of her thighs. When he finally managed to push her dress up high enough, he stopped, looking at her splayed and wet before him. "God, Eponine..." His voice was lower than normal due to his desire, his cheeks flushed and lips swollen from their kisses. He had never looked so good.

"Gabe, please," she begged, pushing his head impatiently forward by tugging on his hair. When his warm breath hit her folds, she gasped, letting out a sharp cry when she felt his tongue flick out against her clit. As he covered her opening with his mouth, Eponine arched her back, her breath coming in short gasps. As her pleasure grew, Eponine slipped further down the seat, her legs weak. Enjolras wrapped an arm around her thigh to hold her in place, his eyes meeting hers as he thrust his tongue inside of her to drink in every drop he could.

Eponine keened helplessly, her hands gripping the edge of the seat and then his shoulders, finally finding his hand as he reached up to soothe her. He squeezed her hand as he pulled away for just a moment to draw a breath. "Come for me, Eponine," he said softly, and lowered his mouth again, kissing and sucking in all of the right places to finally push her over the edge.

She cried out his name as she came, desperately pushing her hips against his mouth as her walls clenched around his tongue. Once she stopped shaking, Enjolras gave her one final lick and raised his head, her juices still wet on his chin. Eponine moaned; she had never seen something so sexy in her life. "How can I still be so turned on after that orgasm?" she said desperately, and Enjolras laughed low in his throat, rising to hover over her. He grabbed a napkin from the to-go bag and wiped his chin, then cleaned Eponine up a bit, as well.

Eponine smiled as she felt his erection brush against her leg and he growled when she reached down and abruptly squeezed him through his pants. He moved from atop her, falling back against the seat, and closed his eyes as Eponine touched him. She wanted to fuck him right there in car, but a quick glance out of the window told her they were only maybe two blocks from their hotel, and she had a feeling it would be even more satisfying if they waited to have more room and privacy up on the 28th floor.

"I'm sorry..." she said quietly as she removed her hand, "but look out the window. We're only a block away from the hotel."

Enjolras opened his eyes and scowled at the sight. "Damn."

"I mean, we _can _make it a quickie," she teased, giggling, "but I thought it might be a little more satisfying in my room."

"Nothing about this is going to be quick," Enjolras deadpanned, and sat up, tugging her closer to him. He kissed her neck lightly, trailing his lips over her skin almost chastely compared to before, and whispered, "You tasted so good. Better than anything I've ever had in my life."

Eponine bit her lip, fisting her hand in his shirt. "I didn't expect this from you," she admitted, and he raised an eyebrow in question. "I thought...well. I thought you might be kind of a boring lover?"

He looked affronted and Eponine laughed, cupping his face to give him a quick kiss. "But you're not! God, not at all. You're the farthest thing from boring."

"I'm offended. You thought I was boring when you met me, you thought I was going to suck at sex..."

"Well, remember," Eponine reminded him, "we still haven't had sex yet. So." She smirked as she felt the car stop in front of the hotel. Eponine reached for the to-go bag, but Enjolras grabbed her hand and gestured to his _very _obvious arousal.

"Uh...I'll take that. I might need it to disguise my little problem here."

"Well it's definitely not _little_," Eponine teased as she opened the door. "And now it's a problem?"

"It is when you have to walk through a crowded lobby and ride in an elevator for 28 floors." Enjolras thanked the limo driver, carrying the bag not so discreetly in front of him, and followed Eponine into the hotel. She took his arm as they waited for the elevator, trying not to laugh at his slightly pained expression. Unfortunately, the elevator was crowded, and Eponine found herself pressed against him in the back, which wasn't _so _bad, considering she used the time to slowly press her bottom against his still very much there erection. He finally wrapped an arm around her waist and leaned forward, biting her ear and whispering in warning, "You're really enjoying my pain here, aren't you? You're going to see how fucking boring I am when this fucking elevator finally stops."

Eponine snorted and turned her head to lightly kiss him. "Bring it on."

After stopping a torturous seven times between the ground and 28th floors, Eponine and Enjolras finally found themselves on their floor. Enjolras immediately started power-walking to the end of the hall where their rooms were, but when he realized Eponine wasn't beside him, turned around impatiently to see her nonchalantly, and very leisurely sauntering down the hall.

He glared at her, asking tightly, "Eponine? Sometime today, please?"

"I happen to think it's kind of fun getting you all worked up. So I thought I'd just take my time." She leaned against the wall and smiled innocently.

"Eponine, I love you, but I swear to God..." Enjolras growled and stalked back down the hall, effortlessly scooping her up with one arm to carry her over his shoulder. She shrieked with surprised laughter, almost delirious with happiness, and let him carry her to his room, where he impatiently fumbled to open the door. "Fucking door," he mumbled.

"You have quite the mouth when you're turned on, too," Eponine mused, and grinned when he finally pushed it open. He tossed the bag on the table and gently lowered Eponine to the floor, sighing in relief. "Finally."

Eponine pushed his jacket off his shoulders, tossing it aside, and glared at him playfully as she began to unbutton his waistcoat and shirt. "You wore way too many clothes tonight."

She kissed her way slowly down his chest as each button fell away, until there were none left and Enjolras shrugged his shirt off. Eponine looked up at him appreciatively, admiring his lean, but toned, stomach, chest, and arms. He watched her through dark, hooded eyes as Eponine pushed him backwards to the bed, unbuckling his belt and pulling off his pants and underwear, finally freeing his throbbing manhood. She knelt on the floor and took him in her hand first, slowly pumping his shaft.

A strangled sound escaped Enjolras' throat as she leaned forward and swirled her tongue around his head, taking him into her mouth a little bit at a time. "Fuck. Eponine! Oh, God." He fell back on the bed, his hands clutching the sheets as she sucked and licked his arousal. He groaned after a minute and reluctantly pushed her away, standing and tugging her up with him.

He wrapped his arms around her waist as she hooked her leg around his, his hands squeezing her bottom as she rubbed against him. She reached behind her and guided his hand to the small zipper on the back of her dress. Once it was undone, he pulled away a bit and pushed the straps of her dress down, helping her shimmy out of the tight material. He stared at her breasts for a minute as her dress pooled around her feet. Eponine's nipples were already peaked and hard, and Enjolras moaned as he ran his hands over her ass and stomach before cupping her breasts.

"God, you're so beautiful," he breathed against her skin as he kissed down her neck to her chest. He lowered his mouth to one breast as he kneaded the soft flesh of the other, and Eponine felt desire pooling heavily in her stomach as he sucked and bit at first one nipple and then the other. It felt so good it _hurt, _and she whimpered, grasping at his arms and shoulders and frantically wrapping her leg around his waist, trying to bring herself some relief from the throbbing between her legs. She rocked her core against his erection, gasping as he rubbed against her clit and screwing up her face to keep from screaming it was so deliciously painful.

"Gabe! Oh, fuck. Please. I need you. Please!" she begged, feeling him smile against her skin.

"What do you need, Eponine?" He moved his lips to her ear and pulled her earlobe into his mouth, biting down just enough to hurt and making her writhe against him. His hands held her bottom still as he gyrated against her hips and she cried out, scratching his shoulders in frustration.

"Fuck me! God, I need you to fuck me. Do it now."

Enjolras growled, her words making him grab her hips and roughly push her onto the bed. They scrambled farther up to the pillows together, hands still wandering and mouths kissing any bit of sweaty skin they could find. Eponine opened her legs, reaching down impatiently to touch herself, and Enjolras groaned at the sight as he hovered above her. "Fuck, Eponine." He took her hand and raised it above her head as he settled himself between her legs, positioning himself at her opening. "You're beautiful," he said again. "God, I love you."

Eponine threw her head back as he finally pushed himself into her, going as far and deep as he could before pulling almost all the way out again. "Oh, fuck. You're so wet." Enjolras leaned down as he began thrusting in and out of her sex, sometimes moving agonizingly slow, sometimes with short, fast movements that left Eponine gasping against his shoulder, her legs desperately trying to wrap around his waist. His mouth was everywhere – on her neck, her jaw, her lips, her breasts – and his hands grasped hers tightly. Their eyes met as he buried himself deeply inside of her and Eponine lifted her head to kiss him desperately, sucking hard on his bottom lip.

Without warning, Enjolras suddenly began pounding into her in a fast, steady rhythm, making her cry out in pleasure every time their bodies met. "Look at me," Eponine begged, and Enjolras opened his eyes and gazed at her, his face red and pained from the effort of holding back his release until she reached her peak.

"Oh! Gabe! Oh, God!" Eponine felt her walls tighten as she finally began to climax, her thighs clenching as he still pumped steadily into her. Her orgasm was violent and she shuddered beneath him, moving her hands to grab frantically at his arms and back and screaming as she finally came. Seeing her let go was all the impetus he needed for his own release, and Eponine sighed in pleasure as she felt Enjolras slow down and spill himself into her with a few final movements. When he was finally spent, he pulled himself out with a groan and settled next to her on the bed, drawing her into his arms.

They were both still breathing hard, and stared at each other in amazement until they could speak coherently. Enjolras kissed her deeply, stroking her still flushed and heated skin before mumbling against her lips. "Do you still think I'm boring?"

Eponine laughed and brushed her nose against his. "No. You're not boring. That was perfect."

"It was," Enjolras agreed, running his hands through her hair, which had somehow come loose during their love making. "I think I'd like to do that every day for the rest of my life. With you," he added, just to make sure his point was clear.

"I love you," Eponine whispered. "I don't know how that happened, but I really do."

Enjolras smiled and kissed her nose. His eyes were startlingly blue as he gazed at her, and so honest that it made her breath catch in her throat. "I love you, too."

* * *

_**Woooow. That's one of the longest chapters I've ever written. And one of the most challenging, honestly, because I realized when I came up with the idea for this story that I have NEVER written something where E and E fall in love before they actually do the nasty. So I wanted to try.**_

_**And I'm super nervous because I really don't know if I pulled it off. I feel like you guys are either going to LOVE this or HATE it and there won't be any in between.**_

_**I hope you love it. If you do, please let me know. PLEASE. Reviews make me feel so wonderful!**_

_**And if you hated it, feel free to let me know, as well, but please do it respectfully. There's no reason to ever make someone feel like an ass, after all.**_

_**Thank you, thank you, thank you for reading!**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**oh, my heart is aching**_

_**we're coming to the edge,**_

_**running on the water**_

_**coming through the fog,**_

_**your sons and daughters**_

**vii.**

For a moment the next morning, Eponine wondered if she was still dreaming as her eyes fluttered open. Sleeping next to someone, let alone next to an incredibly hot naked man, was pretty foreign. She was nestled into Enjolras' chest and felt more relaxed and happy than she _ever _had before, especially considering she wasn't a morning person at all. Eponine slowly scooted back, trying not to disturb Enjolras, who was still sleeping peacefully. She just wanted to look at him, even though it felt slightly creepy to watch him sleep. He didn't stir as she pulled away and sat up, wincing at the slight ache between her legs. Since losing her virginity at age 15, she had slept with more guys than she was proud of, mostly through her tumultuous teenage years. She hadn't been with anyone in over a year, however, just because she didn't feel the need. Needless to say, being fucked into next week throughout the night had taken it's toll in the most amazing way.

Enjolras looked young when he slept, Eponine decided. His hair was adorably sticking up every which way, his mouth slightly open, and his face absolutely worry-free. Eponine had no idea how someone who literally looked like a living, breathing incarnation of a Greek God had fallen in love with her, but she refused to ruin what might be the best thing to ever happen to her by being preoccupied by insecurities.

After about five minutes of staring, Eponine's stomach growled and she remembered the plethora of dessert laying somewhere in the room. She stood quietly, stark naked, and found the bag on the floor. She chose the first container inside and sat back on the bed, sighing in delight as she opened it to see the triple chocolate cupcake she ordered the night before. It tasted just as delicious as it looked, but she made herself take small bites, savoring it for as long as she could. Halfway through, she glanced back at Enjolras to see him awake and watching her with amusement.

"Good morning," he said quietly. "This is quite a sight to wake up to – you naked and eating chocolate in bed."

"Better get used to it," Eponine joked. "Because I'm starting to think this is the only good way to wake up."

Enjolras laughed and put his hands behind his head. "Is it as good as you're making it look?"

"See for yourself." She crawled back up the bed and kissed him quickly before putting a small bite of the cupcake in his mouth.

"God, that is good." Enjolras watched her finish the cupcake and asked hopefully, "Come back to bed for a few minutes?"

"Sure." Eponine crawled back under the covers and turned onto her side to face him. "Did you sleep well?"

"Exceptionally. I think I could get used to sharing a bed if it's with you."

"You haven't had me steal your covers yet. You might change your mind then." Eponine kissed his nose as she ran her hand through his hair, trying her best to tame it a bit. She laughed when she only succeeded in making it stick up more.

_Fuck, I want to have his babies; babies with really great hair_, Eponine thought out of nowhere.

Her eyes widened and she froze, embarrassed at even thinking in such ridiculous terms. Her abrupt change of expression must have alarmed Enjolras, for he immediately frowned and ran his hand down her side, asking in concern, "Eponine? Are you okay?"

"I...what? Yeah! Yeah, I'm fine," she said, her face red. "I just...you know, this is...it's strange," she stuttered, completely thrown off.

"Is it? Eponine, if we're moving too fast or you're uncomfortable, it's okay. You can tell me and I promise I'll back off." Eponine could tell he was sincere, but unhappy about having to say it. He clearly didn't want to back off at all.

"No! No, it's not that. I just...it's stupid, Gabe. I just thought something stupid." She smiled and shrugged. "Forget it."

"Nothing you think is stupid. Tell me." He lightly tickled her stomach and she squirmed, trying to bat his hand away.

"Stop it! Stop!" she shrieked as he kept tickling her.

"Tell me," he grinned, and pulled his hand away, waiting expectantly.

"I was just thinking about...well, like...the future," she mumbled. "I'm sorry, I sound like an idiot."

"No, you don't," Enjolras said reassuringly. "So let's talk about this future. Where do you want to start?"

Eponine raised an eyebrow, wondering how in the hell he could be so calm. "I don't know. I have a hard time thinking in those terms."

"Why?" Enjolras smoothed her hair back, his eyes probing. "We're going to have to talk about what happens when we go home."

"What do you _want _to happen?"

"I want to be with you, but I have a feeling it's not going to be that simple."

"It can't be. I still _work for you."_

"I know. Do you want me to fire you?" he joked.

Eponine sighed and rolled her eyes. "You know I need a job. You know more than anyone. I don't know what to do."

"I know. I do. Damn it." Enjolras rolled onto his back to stare at the ceiling. "You're going to tell me that we can't be together when we go home, aren't you?"

Eponine didn't say anything. He was right. She'd known it even last night, though she ignored it and chose to just give in to her feelings instead. "How can we? If we got caught, you could lose your job, too, Gabe. And what the hell would I do? I can't let Gavroche go back to my parents, but if I can't pay the rent, I wouldn't have a choice. It's not just _my _life I'd be potentially screwing up, but his and yours and...we can't do that."

Enjolras turned his head to look at her, taking her hand under the covers and squeezing tightly. "I know. I understand, and I would never be mad at you for it. To put it eloquently, though, it really fucking sucks. I never even _wanted _to be with someone until I met you. It feels like a big joke from the universe that the one person I've ever loved is also the one person I can't have."

"You do have me," she insisted. "You do! I'm not going to work for you forever. And hopefully not even for very much longer."

"Are you telling me I need to start looking for another administrative assistant?"

"Hopefully. I'm going to start sending out resumes as soon as we get home. Maybe I'll actually find something this time that has to do with my degree. And then hey! It's a double win. I get a boyfriend and a good job."

Enjolras laughed and turned back onto his side, pulling her towards him. "So we'll think positive. You'll get a new job and then we'll be able to do this..." He kissed her forehead, her nose, and then her lips, mumbling, "...whenever we want, wherever we want."

Eponine hooked one leg over his hips. "We'll be careful. _No _physical stuff at work or around anyone. I don't want to tell a single person, not even Cosette. Is that okay?"

"The less people that know, the better. It will be strange if we completely stop seeing each other, though," he pointed out, "considering we've been hanging out alone for months. Does that stop now, too?"

"No, it would be a red flag that something changed between us. We just need to be careful, and not be overly affectionate if our friends are around. No sleep overs. And we have to keep it away from Gavroche! I don't want him to open his big mouth to the wrong person, aka Courfeyrac. Because then the entire planet would know we're sleeping together."

Enjolras laughed. "Okay. So, try and act normal around everyone, at work or outside of it, unless we're alone and in private. No sleep overs. And we'll make it work as long as it takes to find you a new job. We'll then wait an appropriate amount of time before going public. Deal?"

"Deal." Eponine felt like a weight had been lifted from her chest – it was really the best they could do under nearly impossible circumstances, but it could work. And maybe this time she would get lucky and find a job right away. There could be absolutely _nothing _to worry about.

"Good. And look, we resolved that a whole hour before I have to get ready for work. I can think of some really great ways to spend it..." Enjolras leaned in and began trailing kisses along her jaw and neck, having already discovered all of the places that drove her crazy.

"Gabe?" she asked after a minute, suddenly curious.

"Hm?"

"So, are we...are we really together? Like an actual couple? Even though we have to hide it?"

He paused in his ministrations to look at her. "Yes. That is, if you want it. I do."

"I do, too." Eponine grinned and pushed him onto his back, moving to straddle his hips and leaning down to kiss him. "And we still have an entire week here in New York to be together _however _we want."

"Let's not waste it then."

The next week flew by way in a dizzying blur. There were days they actually left the hotel room to sight see, and days when they were both done with work and could think about nothing but making love for hours. All too soon, though, it was time to go home.

Eponine was quiet again on the flight, this time not from fear, but from the heavy feeling of dread that had settled in her stomach. Now that they were getting closer to reality with every mile, the questions and uncertainty of what could happen in the coming weeks was becoming unbearable. Enjolras was just as anxious as her, she could tell, though he tried to hide it. They took a cab to his house from the airport, since she'd left her car there before the trip. He put her bags in the trunk and sighed as he gazed at her wringing her hands in his driveway.

"Come in for a second, okay?"

Eponine nodded and followed him into the house, making sure not to touch him until the door closed behind her. Enjolras quickly gathered her to his chest then, kissing the top of her head as she wrapped her arms around his waist. "I hate this," she mumbled. "I just want to stay here with you."

"I wish you could. I wish both you and Gavroche could be here all the time."

Eponine lifted her head and looked at him incredulously. "Really? You seriously wouldn't mind living with a thirteen year old boy going through puberty?"

"I was a thirteen year old boy going through puberty once, so no. And besides, you're kind of a package deal."

"Well I'm glad there's no doubt about that already. I swear, it is like he's my kid – I couldn't be with someone that doesn't understand he comes first."

"I do get it. It's part of why I love you." He kissed her forehead and then pulled away. "It's going to be okay. We'll stick to the plan, you're going to find a new job within the week, and we won't have to hide at all."

"Right. Think positive." Eponine forced a smile and pulled him back to her, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him deeply just in case it was the last time she'd get to for a few days.

Enjolras kissed her back, backing her up against the counter and making sure she could _feel _him from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. They each tried to pull away a few times, but in each instance, the other would greedily follow, keeping the kiss going until they were both breathless. She'd felt that way a lot in the last week. Finally, with a reluctant whimper, Eponine broke the kiss and rested her forehead against his. "I should go. Courfeyrac is still with Gav and I'm sure he'd like to get home."

"Yeah," Enjolras agreed, but didn't move his hands from her waist.

"That means you have to let go of me," Eponine said as she kissed his nose and tugged on his hair.

"Fine, fine..." After one last chaste kiss, Enjolras stepped away and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "You better go before I change my mind." He smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes.

"I'll see you tomorrow at work," Eponine said as she opened the door. "And I love you."

"I love you, too." Enjolras closed the door after her and Eponine hurried to her car, afraid if she didn't leave quickly, she'd cry, and then Enjolras would be upset and try and comfort her and then it would lead to sex and then it would be even _more _difficult to leave.

She drove home in a daze and attempted to give herself a pep talk. "I have no right to complain," she mumbled to herself in the car. "This is just a temporary setback. Someone fucking loves me. Gabriel _freaking _Enjolras loves me. You should be in the best fucking mood of your life, Eponine! Who cares if you can't be with him every single second? It's only going to be a little while before _literally the rest of your life _starts. Holy shit."

She pulled up in front of her apartment and rested her head against the steering wheel, her head spinning. It was an exhilarating, slightly sickening, feeling, being certain down to her very core that she'd found the person she was going to be with for the rest of her life. She was going to marry him, have babies with him, grow old with him, and be there for him through all of the things sappy wedding vows talked about. And he would be there for her. The cynical side of her that usually won out was shouting that all of this was too good to be true; it was too easy, she was just swept up in the moment, and once the novelty wore off, they would break. The hopeful, optimistic side of her that had grown a little bit every day since she'd met Enjolras, however, was the one she decided to listen to.

Eponine got out of the car with an extra spring in her step, ready to conquer the world.

The next morning at work, when Jennifer asked how the trip to New York was, Eponine didn't lie – she just left out a few very important details. Enjolras called her into his office around 9 and Eponine closed the door behind her just to be safe. "Hi," she said quietly, and sank down into a chair across from his desk.

"Hi." He looked tired; just like her, he probably hadn't slept well, even being back in his own bed. "How was your night?"

"Long. Kind of lonely. What about you?"

"The same. I missed you." Their eyes met and Eponine physically twitched, clenching her fingers around the arms of the chair to keep herself from vaulting over the desk to devour him. This was going to be even more difficult than she thought if he kept looking at her like that.

"I missed you, too." She sighed and stood, crossing her arms. "But I have to go. We can't do this at work all the time, remember? Do you have anything _work related _for me?"

Enjolras groaned and rubbed his face before nodding. "Yeah. Here – it's just some case files. Type up the notes and then file them. That's it."

"Okay. Let me know if you need anything else."

"Yes, ma'am." Eponine snorted as Enjolras gave her an exaggerated wink before she left the office.

That afternoon, Eponine started sending out resume after resume, having flashbacks from the year before when she did the exact same thing. She crossed her fingers and prayed every time she hit send.

Five days later, when she still hadn't gotten a single phone call, her spirits sank a little, but Enjolras gently reminded her not to lose hope.

May soon turned to June, however, and before she knew it, June turned to July. She had gone on two interviews and thought they had gone well, but in both cases, someone with more experience was hired. And to make things worse, she and Enjolras had barely seen each other in the last month – because of his work with Amnesty International, they had unexpectedly asked him to go to London for three weeks with only about four days notice. Almost four entire weeks had gone by and they had barely spoken the entire time.

Eponine missed him so much it drove her crazy; she was short with Gavroche, barely talked to Cosette for fear of giving herself away, and felt fairly miserable in general. The optimism she had felt at the start of their relationship was dwindling, and her insecurities were rearing their ugly heads. What if Enjolras started reconsidering his feelings being so far away from her? What if he met some gorgeous British woman and came to his senses? Or, even worse, a beautiful, intelligent, American lawyer just like him? What if he realized he didn't have any interest in being stuck raising a thirteen year old kid? What if he realized he just didn't love her like he thought he did when the fantasy of New York was taken away?

He got home on a Saturday, and even though Eponine knew his exact arrival time, _and _was alone since Gavroche was spending the weekend with a friend, she decided to pace restlessly in her own apartment rather than show up at his house unannounced, and possibly, unwanted. When her phone buzzed with a simple text at 3:00, her heart fell even further.

_Can you come over? We need to talk._

"Oh, fuck," she whispered. It was obvious what that meant. Eponine closed her eyes and clenched her jaw, refusing to cry. Whatever he said, whatever happened, she would be fine. No one knew that they were together, anyway, so there would be no awkward break-up to explain away.

_Sure. I'll be over in a few minutes._

The drive to his house felt like a death march, and it was over way too fast. She pulled into his driveway and parked, checking her makeup quickly in the mirror. She'd taken most of it off, anyway, just in case she cried – it would be humiliating enough if she couldn't hold back tears, but to add running mascara to that would just be pathetic.

Enjolras opened the door as she came up the walk, his smile faltering as he saw her expression. "Eponine? Is something wrong?"

"No." She slipped past him into the house and sat on the couch, staring at her hands as she waited for him to join her. "How was your trip?"

"Fine..." She heard the hesitancy in his voice and bit her lip, waiting for the axe to fall. "Listen, I wanted to apologize for something, but do you have something to say? Because after not seeing you for 24 days, I expected a little bit more than five words and a glance."

Eponine finally lifted her head to look at him. His jaw was tight and eyes guarded; he didn't look like a guy that was about to break up with her, she reasoned. He looked like someone who was preparing to receive bad news, just like her. Maybe she was wrong?

"I...no, I just...you said you wanted to talk," she said weakly. "I thought you were going to break up with me."

Enjolras sighed and deflated. "Eponine, why would you assume that?"

She shrugged and scooted closer on the couch, inviting him to close the distance if he wanted to. "I don't know. I guess I convinced myself of a lot of horrible things while you were gone."

"Like?" He reached out and brushed his hand over her cheek.

"Like you'd probably come to your senses being so far away, or met some other smart, gorgeous lawyer that doesn't come with the baggage of a teenage kid...do you need me to go on?"

"I think I get it." Enjolras leaned closer and touched the necklace he gave her for her birthday. "You're still wearing this, though, so I don't know if you really believed all that or not."

"I don't know what I think," Eponine admitted. "Everything sucks right now. I can't find a job, we're stuck in this fucking limbo, you've been gone...I just hate it."

"Do you want to break things off?"

Eponine met his eyes and slowly shook her head. "No. Do you?"

"No. Not at all, even a little bit." Eponine closed her eyes as he gently pressed his lips to hers, one hand tangling in her hair to hold her head still. He pulled away after a minute and said in embarrassment, "I may have broken our agreement a little bit, though, which is why I wanted to talk to you..."

"Which part of our agreement?"

"The part where we weren't supposed to tell anyone."

"Who did you tell?" Eponine expected him to say Combeferre, since he was Enjolras' closest friend and confidant. She really wouldn't have minded that much, because she knew he was trustworthy and loyal.

"Uh...my mom?"

Eponine blinked. Well, she didn't expect that.

"You told your _mom_? Gabe! What the hell!"

"I'm sorry! She practically forced it out of me one night while we were Skyping! I was in a bad mood and I missed you and she just _guessed._ It was like she could read my mind! And I really, really wanted to talk about you and so it just...happened," he finished lamely.

Eponine's cheeks colored. Shit. How was she supposed to deal with meeting her secret boyfriend's parents? What would they think of her? What if they hated her? She could be so damn awkward when she was nervous.

"What did she think? Was she mad that I work for you? Oh God, she probably thinks I'm such a slut." Eponine groaned and flopped over on the couch, face first into the cushions.

Enjolras chuckled and rubbed her back. "No, she doesn't! Not at all. She can't wait to meet you. When I told her _everything, _she actually cried."

Eponine raised her head, looking at him curiously. "Because she was upset?"

He gave her a stern look. "No. Because much like my friends, apparently my parents were convinced I was going to die alone and unloved. So when I told her how fucking crazy in love with you I am..." He shrugged.

"Crazy in love, huh?" Eponine bit her lip, feeling all of her forgotten optimism creeping back in. Now that he was here in front of her again, it was easier to remember why they were doing all of this.

"Very." Enjolras scooted to the other end of the couch and beckoned for her to join him after he reclined back against the arm. "You don't need to be worried about my parents," he assured her, kissing the top of her head once she was resting between his legs, her head on his chest. "They're going to love you. They know this is a huge deal for me to even start dating someone, so believe me, they are more than supportive."

"Okay. It's still a little nerve-wracking, though. I don't know how to treat normal parents." Eponine slipped her hand under his shirt, reacquainting herself with the smooth planes of his stomach and chest.

"I missed you," Enjolras said, abruptly changing the subject. "I was going crazy without you."

"You know...Gavroche is spending the night at his friend's house. He's not coming home until tomorrow," Eponine said suggestively.

Enjolras faked offense. "Wait, are you saying we should break _another _rule and have a sleepover?"

"I like breaking rules."

A routine became quickly established over the coming weeks: Monday through Friday, nothing changed. Enjolras still came over every Thursday to have dinner and tutor Gavroche, they attended business dinners or lunches as needed, and at work, mostly ignored each other. Eponine was eternally grateful for Saturdays, the only day where she and Enjolras had any alone time at all. Gavroche finally made a good friend on his soccer team, an only child who happened to have a great mom that loved to have Gavroche spend the night on weekends. So even though she didn't spend the night _every _Saturday, Eponine did it enough that she now had her own drawer in Enjolras' dresser and her own set of toiletries in the bathroom. Every Sunday morning that she woke up in his bed, surrounded by his smell and nestled against his chest, was by far the best part of her week.

So far, there had only been one big fight that left her marching out of his house and back to her own on a Saturday night – a stupid argument about a missing case file that Eponine insisted she filed at the office. When Enjolras had gone to retrieve it, it wasn't there. He immediately blamed her, and instead of acting like a human being about it, acted "like a neanderthal" instead, according to Eponine. When he finally started searching through the pile of junk in his home office, lo and behold, the file was found. He called her later to sheepishly apologize, after he finally remembered he had actually taken it out of the file drawer two days before. Instead of running back to his house like he expected, however, Eponine's sore feelings told him she was staying home instead, since an apology didn't fix the way he'd talked to her. That set him off again, which made Eponine abruptly hang up the phone in the middle of his ranting. An hour later, however, he showed up on her doorstep with the biggest Hershey bar she had ever seen and remorseful, puppy dog eyes, and Eponine caved. She couldn't resist a man who used her chocolate addiction for good. And that night the sex was more passionate than ever, making her finally understand how arguing could probably sometimes be _good _for a relationship.

In mid-August, Gavroche started high school, now a fourteen year old freshman, and Eponine still had no luck finding a new job. She could tell Enjolras was impatient, considering he had started giving not-so-subtle hints that he would like her and Gavroche to move in as soon as they could. His mom also made her feelings perfectly clear – she wanted to meet Eponine, and called to leave voicemails every Saturday night they were together, threatening that one of these days she was just going to show up uninvited. Eponine was pretty sure she would die from embarrassment if she had to meet his parents in their current situation, however, and begged him to get her out of it until she was no longer working for him. He agreed, though he warned her that his mom was definitely not happy about it.

Sometimes Enjolras' eagerness to start their life together took Eponine aback, and she wished she could talk to someone about her nerves and fear that all of this was going to fall apart. It was baffling how she could feel like they were moving too fast even though they had barely crawled forward at all. Even though Enjolras had even less experience than her when it came to relationships, he seemed so _sure _all the time that she was it for him. She knew he was a driven and ambitious man, considering everything he'd already achieved before age 30, and he had a tendency to push full steam ahead with everything he undertook. She just wondered if the instincts and habits that had guided his career were as fool proof when it came to romantic feelings.

Still, there was no denying that she was crazy about him, too.

In mid-September, after almost four whole months of secretly being together, Eponine finally caught a break on the job front. Her cell phone rang mid-day, just as she sat down with her lunch in the break room. She didn't recognize the number, which usually meant she didn't bother to answer, but for some reason, this time she picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hello, is this Ms. Thenardier?"

"Yes, this is her." Eponine rolled her eyes, figuring some kind of telemarketer had somehow gotten her number.

"Hi, this is Jean Bursett – we spoke a few months ago about the social work position at Haynes Elementary?"

Eponine dropped her fork, leaving her lunch untouched, and rushed into the private bathroom so she wouldn't be overheard. "Oh! Yes, hi. How are you?" She had actually interviewed for this job back in June, and thought she stood a chance of getting it, until Mrs. Bursett had apologetically called to tell her they hired someone else, based solely on the other woman's extensive experience.

"I'm doing well, but we're actually in a little bit of trouble here at school. I was calling to see if you'd found a position at another school yet?" Mrs. Bursett's voice was hopeful, and Eponine felt her heart begin to pound.

"No, I haven't. I'm still working at the law office, actually."

"Oh, well, that might be good news then! The woman we hired for the position here unexpectedly had to quit last week because of a family emergency. She's not even in town anymore, which leaves us without a social worker, which is tough since we have such a high population of students that need those services. So, basically, I was wondering if you were still interested in the position?"

Eponine fist-pumped the air and jumped up and down for a few seconds before gathering herself enough to respond. "Wow. Yes! I'm definitely still interested!"

"Wonderful! Everyone is on board here with the decision to hire you based on your previous interview, so the position is yours if you want it."

Eponine closed her eyes and sent a silent 'thank you' to the universe. "Yes. Absolutely. Wow, thank you! What are our next steps?"

"Well, I'm assuming you need to put two weeks notice to your current job, so why don't we just be safe and say October 1st will be your first official day here? And you can come in and sign paper work in the next few days and learn about your benefits, if that sounds good."

"It sounds wonderful. _Thank you_. Seriously, thank you so much for remembering me; I can't wait to start."

The call ended after a few more minutes and Eponine did another happy dance to let out her emotions before going back to the break room. She didn't want to give anything away or say anything before she could tell Enjolras at the end of the day. It was a good thing he was actually in court for the afternoon or it would have been impossible to keep the news from him. Eponine managed to only eat a few more bites of her lunch, too keyed up to even feel hungry anymore. As soon as she was back at her desk, she typed up her official letter of resignation, printed, and put it in an envelope.

Everyone in the office had already left for the day by the time Enjolras came back at 5:15. He looked surprised to see her still sitting behind her desk.

"Hey – I figured you would have left by now. What are you still doing here?"

"I need to talk to you actually," she said hesitantly, using her best acting skills to look nervous. There was nothing she loved more than freaking him out. "Can we talk in private?"

He narrowed his eyes, trying to figure out what she was up to, before nodding. "Of course. What's going on?"

She followed him to his office and closed the door behind her, sighing dramatically as she handed him the envelope and trying unsuccessfully to summon tears to her eyes. "See for yourself, I guess."

Enjolras looked concerned as he ripped it open and took out the letter, reading it through quickly. He glanced up at her before reading it one more time. "Eponine, why are you quitting?" he asked. "Is something wrong?"

"Well...I can't work here if I got another job today, can I?"

Enjolras' mouth fell open. "You what?! Eponine! Jesus, I thought you'd act fucking happy about that!"

"I know, I just like to torture you." She gave him a cheeky grin and laughed. "But I really did get one, and it's amazing. It came out of nowhere today – it's actually at one of the schools I interviewed at before. The person they hired quit already, so they called me!"

Enjolras tossed the letter aside and abruptly pulled her towards him, cupping her face and kissing her soundly. "I'm so proud of you," he said sincerely. "You deserve it."

"Thank you." She kissed him again, intending for it to be short and sweet, but as Enjolras ran his tongue over her bottom lip, gently coaxing her mouth open, it definitely turned into something more. Before she knew it, her arms were around his neck and his hands were on her ass as he kissed her senseless. Enjolras moaned as Eponine wrapped one leg around his waist, pushing her hips against his. She pushed his jacket off his shoulders and loosened his tie, unbuttoning the top buttons of his shirt to suck hungrily at the hollow of his throat.

"Fuck, Eponine...we shouldn't do this here," he said reluctantly, but still made no move to push her away.

"No one's here anymore," she whispered. "But we can stop if you want to..."

His hands squeezed her ass one more time before he gently pushed her away. "Can you come to my house?"

"No...Gavroche doesn't have practice tonight. He's home already waiting for me to make dinner."

"Shit." Enjolras sighed and leaned against the door, not so subtly adjusting his pants. "This is beyond tempting. Do you know how many times I've imagined you naked on my desk?"

"This desk?" Eponine asked, walking over and perching on the edge. "And _me? _ What in the world could you possibly be imagining that involves me being naked on this desk?" She feigned innocence and crossed her legs demurely, making sure her skirt rode up nice and high on her legs.

Enjolras raised his eyebrows, swallowing visibly as he looked at her. "We need to leave before I show you exactly what I've been thinking."

"You _do _know there's no one else here, right?" Eponine repeated, trying her hardest to fight temptation, but not quite succeeding. The rational side of her knew that even with a low risk of getting caught, it still wasn't the smartest move. "I mean, you're probably right, we shouldn't, but..."

"We could." They stared at each other for a solid ten seconds, each waiting for the other to make the first move.

Finally, Eponine sighed and abruptly pulled her shirt over her head. "Fuck. Let's make it quick."

Enjolras grinned and crossed the small office in a flash, stepping between her legs and pulling her towards him. His mouth was suddenly everywhere as his fingers dug into her hips. She loosened his tie some more, breaking their kiss only so he could pull it over his head. He was hard against her already and whimpered when she rocked against him, her own sex swollen with need, too. She loved this about them – how sometimes they made love and sometimes, they just _fucked. _Whatever they did, it was never boring, though so far, they hadn't dared to do more than steal a glance every now and then when at work. The forbidden, dangerous nature of their surroundings made everything seem more urgent than usual, and Eponine whined as Enjolras moved his lips to her neck and chest. He bit and nipped at her skin like a starving man, and Eponine gasped as he expertly unhooked her bra and lowered his mouth to her breasts. She tugged roughly on his hair, just the way she knew made him crazy, and he growled low in his throat, biting just enough to hurt in retaliation as her nipples hardened into peaks at his touch.

"Fuck, Gabe. Please!" She also knew her begging made him crazy, since, surprise, surprise, he tended to get off on being the dominant one when it came to sex. She pressed her hips against his again as she leaned back on the desk and braced herself with her hands.

Enjolras wasted no time in reaching under her skirt and pulling her panties off, tossing them aside and moving his hand between her legs. "You're so wet already," he mumbled, his eyes dark with lust. When Eponine pressed against his hand, desperate for friction to relieve the ache between her thighs, Enjolras got the hint and slid one finger against her clit, moving it in rapid circles until Eponine began to moan and writhe beneath him. Her arms were too shaky to hold her up anymore and she laid down flat on the desk, not even noticing when she knocked a stack of papers off. Just as he brought her close to the edge, Enjolras abruptly pulled his hand away.

"No, no. Fuck you," she whimpered.

"Patience, baby." He smiled and leaned forward to kiss her stomach. With shaking hands, he then quickly undid his belt and pants, pulling them down roughly, along with his boxers, before tugging her back up to sit on the desk. He kissed her again, taking her hand on placing it on his erection as his tongue clashed with hers.

She pumped her hand up and down his shaft until he panted with need, his forehead pressed against her shoulder. When she moved her hand to squeeze his balls, his hips bucked against her and he cursed, biting down hard on her shoulder. He impatiently knocked her hand away and positioned himself to enter her, kissing her eagerly as he slowly began to push inside of her hot, wet cavern. Eponine moaned as his length filled her, scooting to the very edge of the desk to make it easier for him to thrust against her. He went slow at first, burying himself inside of her as deeply as he could before pulling almost all the way out again. She clawed desperately at his back. "Gabe, oh God. Please, please! Harder, go faster."

Enjolras pushed her down flat against the desk and pulled her legs up straight against his chest. She gasped at the new angle this allowed him to reach as he began pounding roughly into her, his hands holding her legs in place against him. "Fuck, Eponine. You're so fucking beautiful." He moaned and turned his head to kiss her leg before meeting her eyes again.

She could tell he was close as his movements turned more erratic, and not wanting him to come before her, Eponine reached down and began touching her own clit, crying out in pleasure as he batted her hand away after a minute and used his own. She came fast and hard, her back arching off the desk as her body trembled, her walls clenching around Enjolras' cock still buried deep inside her. He let out a strangled cry as he reached his own climax, and she felt his hot liquid pouring into her in several long spurts. After he was spent, Enjolras gently lowered Eponine's legs back to the desk, bending down to gather her into his arms as he slipped out of her.

He trailed kisses all over her face and eyelids, pulling her hair back and over her shoulders as he cradled her against his chest. "I love you," he mumbled.

Eponine felt his heart pound against her cheek and she turned her head to kiss his chest. "I love you, too."

They were still for a few minutes as they both calmed, content to just relax against each other. After a few minutes, Eponine said quietly, "I need to go. I'm already running late. Hopefully Gavroche hasn't burned the apartment building down trying to cook himself dinner."

Enjolras chuckled and kissed the top of her head. "Okay. And just so you know, having you in real life was much, much better than any fantasy could ever be."

"Of course it was," Eponine smirked, and accepted the tissues he handed her to clean herself up. He did the same, cursing a bit when he noticed everything they had knocked to the floor.

After they were both dressed, Enjolras asked hopefully, "Call me tonight before you go to bed?" Eponine nodded and stood on her tiptoes to press one last kiss against his lips before she left. She glanced back briefly before she shut his office door behind her, and the sight of him standing there so disheveled, with such a look of adoration on his face as he watched her leave, had her slamming the door and crossing the room to kiss him one more time.

He laughed as he caught her in his arms and pressed short, sweet kisses against her lips. "I thought you were leaving?"

"I am! I just...you know. I don't want to."

"I never want you to leave, but you have to," he reminded her sternly. "Gavroche? Dinner? Potential fire?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah...okay. I'm really leaving now." She kissed him again, then quickly pulled away before she could change her mind. "I love you!" she tossed over her shoulder as she shut the door.

When she turned to go retrieve her purse from her desk, Eponine stopped short as the last person she expected to see, _Enjolras' boss_, Mr. Franklin, stood at the end of the hallway. Frozen, she felt the blood drain from her face; judging by his expression, he had heard _more _than enough to know exactly what was going on. Her bottom lip trembled. This was literally her worst nightmare coming to life.

"Ms. Thenardier?" His voice was cold. "Is there a reason you're at the office so late?"

Enjolras must have heard Franklin's voice, for she felt his office door fly open behind her and his warm presence at her back. She squeezed her eyes shut for a minute, not afraid for herself at all, but terrified for him. He was about to lose everything he'd worked for his entire life because she couldn't fucking control herself for five minutes. She had single-handedly wrecked his career and his life.

Enjolras cleared his throat and laid a reassuring hand on her back. "Hello, Sir." His voice was resigned, but strong.

"I think we need to have a talk, Gabriel. Please dismiss Ms. Thenardier for the evening and come to my office." Mr. Franklin turned and stalked to the elevators at the end of the hall, going up to his office on the third floor.

"Oh my God," Eponine whispered, and realized she was trembling.

Enjolras turned to her as soon as Franklin was gone and cupped her face in his hands, kissing her forehead soothingly. "Eponine, hey. Hey, it's okay. It's fine! Everything is going to be fine."

She looked at him like he was crazy. "How can you say that, Gabe? He knows! He fucking heard! Probably everything! Oh my God..."

"Eponine," Enjolras said sternly. "Stop. He probably did, but what's done is done and we can't change it. Whatever happens, I'll be fine. And you already have a new job, baby. You don't have anything to worry about. I won't let this affect you."

"What about you?! Shit!" Eponine tried to pull away, but Enjolras wouldn't let her, instead pulling her closer and whispering in her ear.

"Go home. You need to go before Gav starts to worry about you. I'll come over as soon as I'm done here, okay? We'll talk."

Eponine nodded weakly and let him kiss her cheek before he turned away to go face whatever his fate would be. She held back her tears until she was halfway home, and even then only allowed herself to cry a little. This was her own damn fault. How had she expected this to end, with rainbows and butterflies? This is what happened when idiotic women fell for their bosses. God, she was such a fool.

How could he ever want her after she ruined everything like this?

* * *

_**Thank you so much for all of the feedback from the last chapter - I know I disappointed a few people, but you can't please everyone! For everyone that was unhappy and expressed so in a nice, mature, respectful way, I very much appreciate the constructive criticism. For those that sent nastier messages, well...thanks for the hate, I guess? I feel kind of like I've arrived now, since I'd never gotten any before. ;)**_

**_Anywho. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, although it definitely didn't end well! As always, please review and let me know your thoughts and feelings!_**


	8. Chapter 8

**_it's asking for the taking_**

**_trembling, shaking_**

**_oh, my heart is aching_**

**_we're coming to the edge,_**

**_running on the water_**

**_coming through the fog,_**

**_your sons and daughters_**

**_viii._**

"Gav, I'm home!" Eponine called as she opened the front door. "Sorry I'm late."

Eponine threw her purse in a chair and looked longingly at the couch. She wanted nothing more than to curl up in a ball and not speak for days. Shame burned through her veins, a shame worse than any she'd ever felt before. She _knew _shame – she'd felt it every day as a child when she looked at her parents, when a school friend accidentally found out where she lived, or when one of her teachers gazed with pity at her dirty clothes. That shame spurred her in a positive direction, however; she'd done nothing to earn it, and had always understood that even when she was very young. It was a shame she knew she could fix, that she could fight her way out of. This shame, however, she had brought on herself.

Robotically, she began to make dinner, only vaguely aware that Gavroche had come into the kitchen and was watching her warily. After a minute, he asked, "Eponine? Are you sick or something? You're really pale."

"No. I'm fine."

"I can make myself dinner, I just didn't because you said you'd be home. But it doesn't bother me..."

"I'm fine, Gav," she snapped, even as she realized she absolutely _wasn't. _Her hands shook so badly she almost dropped a plate, which she quickly put on the kitchen counter. "Shit."

Gavroche looked alarmed, and she felt guilty again as she realized she was scaring him. "Seriously, Eponine, are you okay? What's going on?"

"I just...something bad happened at work. I'm just worried about Gabe."

"Is he okay? He isn't hurt, is he?" Gavroche walked to the stove and flipped the hamburger patties Eponine had already forgotten about. "Should you call him?"

Eponine sank down into a chair and rested her head on top of her folded arms. "No. He should be coming here in a few minutes to talk about it. I did something really stupid. _Really _stupid."

Gavroche knew better than to ask what, and finished making his dinner in silence. "Do you want some food?" he asked hesitantly, and Eponine shook her head.

"No. I'm not hungry."

"Okay. Well, uh...I'm gonna go eat in my room. I have homework to finish and stuff."

Eponine nodded and watched him leave the kitchen. Normally, she would insist he stay, eat, and talk about his day with her, but tonight she just couldn't summon the energy to do it. She glanced at her phone – it had already been 45 minutes since she left the office, and every minute that went by, she grew more anxious and sick to her stomach. It seemed like he should have been there by now, but she didn't want to call or text in case he was still with Mr. Franklin. Finally, thirty minutes later, the doorbell rang. Eponine flew to the door and stopped short when she opened it.

"Hi..." Her heart sank as she looked at him – Enjolras looked like he had aged five years in the hour and a half since she'd last seen him. The calm, reassuring man she'd left at the office looked more than a little like the walking dead now. He carried a small box in his arms, and a quick glance inside told Eponine all she needed to know – all of her personal things were there, mostly pictures from her desk.

"Hey." He came in and put the box on the couch, turning to look at her with the most beaten down expression she'd ever seen him wear. Her stomach twisted into knots. "I brought your stuff so you wouldn't have to go back."

"Gabe..." she whispered. "What happened?"

He inclined his head toward her bedroom. "I don't want Gavroche to hear us," he said, and Eponine followed him in and closed the door behind her. With a heavy sigh, he sank down onto the bed, waiting for her to sit next to him before he spoke. "So, you don't have to finish your two weeks."

Eponine nodded. She'd kind of figured that, and she didn't care. The only thing that mattered was whether or not she'd ruined _his_ life. Eponine bit her tongue, trying to keep from asking again, even though she had a feeling she knew that answer, too. Enjolras was silent and stared straight ahead. He flinched ever so slightly as Eponine touched his arm and finally glanced at her.

"He fired me."

She thought she might actually be sick; there was absolutely nothing she could do to fix this, and feeling so helpless was horrible. "I'm so sorry. I'm _so sorry."_

"Literally everything I worked for my entire life is gone. Fucking everything."

Eponine's heart pounded so hard she could almost hear the blood rushing through her veins. She'd never been so affected by someone else's pain before, and wanted desperately to just _fix _everything for him. There was no way to do it, though, and it killed her. "I'm so sorry," she whispered again. "This is all my fault, God, I fucked up so bad. I..."

"Eponine," Enjolras interrupted. "I'm not mad at you. But I also really can't comfort you right now. So please stop."

Eponine sucked in a breath, taken aback by his cold, distant tone. "I'm sorry," she said again weakly, now incredibly self conscious. "I just...I don't know what to do. I want to fix it for you, but I don't know what to do."

"There's nothing you can do. This isn't something we can fix." Enjolras took a deep breath and stood, walking over to the window and standing with his back to her. "It's not your fault, though, okay? I'm not mad."

Eponine stared at the stiff set of his shoulders, absolutely wracked with tension. He said he wasn't mad, but he could have fooled her. He probably wasn't mad at _her_, though, she reasoned, but at the situation, and at himself. His whole life had just changed in the blink of an eye and it was hard to process.

"Fuck!" Enjolras suddenly exploded and punched the wall before Eponine even realized what he was doing. The impact of his fist rattled the window pane and left a sizable, ragged hole in the plaster. Eponine jumped and covered her mouth, absolutely shocked. She'd never seen this side of Enjolras, and it scared her. Before she could even react, the bedroom door flew open.

"Eponine?" Gavroche stood in the doorway with a baseball bat, clearly ready to defend her however he needed to. His eyes found Enjolras and he looked between them with a puzzled expression, lowering the baseball bat to his side and looking to her for an explanation. Enjolras didn't even seem to notice Gavroche as he still stared at the wall and cradled his bruised, and possibly broken, hand to his chest.

"It's okay, Gavroche!" Eponine said, even though her heart was still in her throat. She sprang into action and pushed him out of the room and back towards his own bedroom door. "He's just upset about work, but he's not going to hurt me. You don't need to be worried."

"Are you sure?" Gavroche looked wary as he glanced over her shoulder and back into the room.

"I'm sure. Go in your room, okay? He just needs to calm down, and I need to take care of his hand."

"Maybe he shouldn't be here, Eponine. We don't _own_ this fucking apartment and now we have a hole in the wall because he decided to act like an asshole."

"Watch your language, Gavroche," Eponine said sternly. "And thanks for the advice, but I'm the adult here and I decide who can and can't be in this apartment. Have some compassion, okay? He made a mistake – everyone does."

"Fine, whatever." Gavroche finally relented, but left his bedroom door open a crack just in case. Eponine sighed and went into the kitchen, quickly grabbing an ice pack for one of Gavroche's many soccer injuries and filling it with ice. Enjolras was still standing where she left him when she got back to the bedroom, looking at the hole in the wall with a perplexed expression, like he couldn't even fathom how it had gotten there.

"Here," she said quietly, taking his hand and leading him to the side of the bed. She inspected it under the light of the bedside lamp, noticing it was already swelling around his very red, but thankfully not bloody, knuckles. "It's a little swollen already, can you move it?"

Enjolras nodded, shamefaced as he stared at the floor. "I'm sorry. That was really fucking stupid. I'll pay to have it fixed."

"It's okay. Sit down." She gently pushed him onto the bed and stood in front of him, making sure to keep the ice pack on his hand. Having something to fix had calmed her down a little, though her stomach was still churning with remorse and uncertainty. Their eyes met as he glanced up at her, and Enjolras sighed, unexpectedly leaning forward and resting his head against her chest. The gesture melted her.

She leaned down and kissed the top of his head, running her other hand through his hair soothingly. "I love you, and I'm sorry this happened. I'd give anything to take today back."

"What the fuck am I going to do?" he mumbled. "I can't fucking fix this. I don't know what Franklin's going to do, if he's going to tell other people or start a smear campaign against me or what. I bought a fucking _house_. How the hell am I going to pay for it without a job?"

Eponine squeezed her eyes shut, trying to fight back tears. Enjolras was so good to her, and had been since the day they met, and this is what he got in return by getting involved with her. This is what happened to things around her; they just fell apart.

"Everything will be okay," she said weakly, even though she didn't believe her own words. "You'll find something else, something even better."

Enjolras sighed and pulled away, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Yeah," he said sarcastically. "I'm sure this is something I'll laugh about in a few months."

Eponine bit her lip, taking the ice pack off his hand for a second to look at it again. It was definitely going to hurt for a few days. "Do you want to stay here tonight?" she asked uncertainly. She knew she wanted him to – she didn't think she'd be able to sleep at all unless he was next to her.

"No. I just...I need to be alone for a while." Enjolras looked away, unwilling to meet her eyes, and Eponine felt her heart fall again. He'd never been anything but direct with her, and suddenly, she felt walls flying up between them.

"Oh. Yeah, of course. Okay."

He tried to give the ice pack back to her, but she shook her head quickly. "No, take that with you. You need to keep it on, and probably fill it up again when you get home, okay? Take care of your hand or it's going to hurt like hell."

"Okay." Enjolras managed a small smile and stood, his eyes drifting back to the hole in the wall. "I'm sorry about that, again. That was an asshole move."

"Sometimes we do stupid things when we're upset, Gabe. It's alright."

She followed him out of the room, almost running into him when he abruptly stopped in front of Gavroche's door. "Shit," he muttered. "He's probably furious with me, isn't he?"

"He'll be fine, I just need to talk to him..."

Enjolras gave a deep sigh and suddenly looked ready to explode again. "Fuck! Fuck, I didn't even think..."

Eponine quickly stepped in front of him and put her hands on his cheeks, forcing him to look at her. "Stop. Stop it, okay? Gavroche is fine. You're in no shape to talk to him right now. I want you to just go home, take some Tylenol PM or something, and go to sleep, alright?"

"If I have to, you do, too. Please don't beat yourself up about this, Eponine."

"Okay." It was a total lie – she knew she would. They would both probably have miserable, sleepless nights. She led Enjolras to the door and closed her eyes as he leaned down to press a lingering kiss to her temple.

"Good night, Eponine." She watched him walk away sadly, feeling like he was literally taking her whole world with him. It felt so dramatic to think that way, but she couldn't help it. For the first time, there were cracks appearing in their foundation, and she was terrified they would only get worse.

* * *

The next day, Eponine's nerves were beyond frayed. She picked her phone up what felt like fifty thousand times, trying to will Enjolras to call or text and let her know he was alright, but there was nothing but silence. Around one in the afternoon, she finally broke down and texted him, which ended up making it worse since she kept expecting a reply that never came.

To keep herself occupied, she made an elaborate dinner for Gavroche, along with a double batch of brownies for dessert. She made herself be pleasant and sociable at dinner, though she could tell Gavroche was still guarded and dying to ask her what the hell the previous night was about. She promised to tell him the next day, but wanted to talk to Enjolras first. There was an ever growing feeling in her gut that this was going to change things between them, that losing his job was going to make him realize he had been acting like an idiot. Basically, that he had blown his life and career into pieces because, for the first time in his twenty-eight years, he'd given into temptation instead of acting like his usual, rational self.

To say all of that to him now, however, would be selfish and stupid. She was the one with stability now, who didn't have to worry about making a mortgage payment or how she was going to put food on the table. _He _was, and if Eponine was honest about her anxiety over their relationship, it would be making everything about her, and distracting from the real problem. He'd already told her once – he couldn't comfort her right now.

He didn't call her that night at all. It was the first day since they'd met that she didn't speak to him for at least a few minutes.

She got maybe an hour of sleep total, spending most of the night tossing, turning, and fighting back tears. Around 4, Eponine decided it wasn't worth it to try anymore and got up to make Gavroche a massive breakfast before school. At least it would keep her mind on something other than her problems.

Gavroche eyed her warily as he ate his eggs, and finally asked, "Did you guys break up?"

"No, not that...wait." She narrowed her eyes and said incredulously, "I never fucking told you we were dating!"

"Oh, please." Gavroche rolled his eyes. "I've known for months, Eponine. I think everyone has, or at least they _thought _so. You were kind of obvious."

Eponine's mouth fell open, astonished. She really, truly thought that no one had a clue. "Who is everyone?"

"You know...everyone. Courf, and Bahorel, and Combeferre...those guys. They all know."

Eponine groaned and closed her eyes. "They probably think I'm such a slut. I _worked _for him. Oh my God...and please don't use that word; if I ever hear you call a woman a slut, I will kill you. I'm such a horrible influence. I should never be allowed to raise a child."

"Oh, yeah - you're totally unfit to be a parent, with your college education and respectable job and the way you actually make me food and pay for my extracurricular activities and make me do my homework," Gavroche said sarcastically.

It made her smile, but it didn't last long.

"You need to get to school. Get going or you'll miss your bus. And remember that Courf is bringing you home tonight after practice." She grabbed his backpack from the floor and handed it to him.

"Just go to his house or something, Ep. I'll see you later." Gavroche gave her an unexpected, slightly awkward, one-armed hug before he left, bringing another brief smile to Eponine's face. Whatever happened, at least she had her brother.

Once he was gone, her smile faded and she chewed on her lip. Thinking about going another day with no word from Enjolras made her feel physically ill; what the hell was he doing? She had a feeling probably absolutely nothing, judging from the way he'd behaved the other night. It was easy to imagine him sitting and staring at a wall for days, trying to fathom what had just happened. He probably wasn't even eating, which he had a tendency to forget to do anyway when he became preoccupied with other things.

By noon, with still no word from him, Eponine made up her mind. She drove to the grocery store, picked up everything she needed to make sure Enjolras wouldn't starve, and went to his house, steeling herself for whatever she might find. He might kick her out, for all she knew. His car was in the driveway, but when she unlocked the back door with her key, everything was silent. She brought the groceries in with only one trip back to the car and began putting them away quietly. At least she'd leave him with food if she was finished by the time he realized she was there.

She sensed him in the doorway watching her before she turned to look at him. Enjolras gazed at her for a solid minute before he asked in a disgruntled tone, "What are you doing?"

"Trying to be a good girlfriend and make sure you don't starve."

"I'm fine."

"I know you're fine," she said gently, finally turning to look at him, "but I still get to worry about you." Her eyes widened a bit when she looked down at his hand, which was practically purple and badly swollen. "Shit, Gabe! Did you ice that like I told you to?"

"No." He glanced at it and shrugged. He seemed listless, and his eyes held none of the familiar good humor she had come to know. Even though it had only been a few days, he also seemed thinner, his cheeks rough with stubble and hair getting greasy. He looked at her like she was just another person all of a sudden and not like the love of his life. It hurt, but she ignored it and plowed on.

"It might be broken...God, that had to have hurt. Why didn't you tell me it was so bad?" Eponine walked over and took his arm, raising it up to look more closely at his hand. Even if he had decided he hated her, she still loved him, and would act like it. "Shit. I should probably take you to the ER."

He raised an eyebrow and said sarcastically, "Oh, yeah. I can totally afford an ER trip now that I have no insurance. Great idea; by far the best idea I've heard since the one about us fucking in my office."

His words stung, but she rallied with a deep breath, fighting her own instincts to defend herself and turn it into an argument. He was probably right, anyway, though it wasn't the nicest thing to say.

"Have you eaten?"

"I don't know."

"Well, you certainly haven't showered," she joked, trying to lighten the mood. "But it would probably hurt your hand, so I'll help you. Come on."

She grabbed a cup from a cabinet, then took his arm to lead him upstairs to the master bath. Enjolras followed obediently, like Eponine hoped. It would probably just waste energy he wasn't willing to expend to put up a fight. Once they were in the newly remodeled bathroom, complete with the enormous jacuzzi tub Eponine had begged him for, she got to work.

"We're going to take a bath, okay? It will be nice to at least feel clean, trust me." She turned the bath on and made sure the water was nice and hot before adding a generous amount of bubbles.

"_We're _taking a bath?"

"Someone has to get you clean. That's your dominant hand," she said practically, "so you can't use it. And a bath will help you relax. _And_ you stink, so." He glared at her for a minute, but she smiled sweetly, trying desperately to make him smile and show him that no matter what he did, she wasn't going to just walk away. "And just so you know, I'm now going to take off your pants."

He flinched, suddenly looking self conscious. "Seriously?"

"Gabriel, I have seen you naked probably a hundred times now. I have literally licked chocolate sauce off your penis. I'm taking off your fucking pants."

Finally, his serious countenance cracked a bit and he rolled his eyes, his lips twitching into a slight smile. "Okay, okay. Take off my pants."

"Good boy." Eponine quickly tugged his comfortable sweatpants and boxers down his legs, kicking them aside as he stepped out of them. "I'm going to try not to hurt your hand, so..." She lifted his left arm and had him pull it through the sleeve of his t-shirt, then gently peeled it over his head and down his other arm, trying not to touch his swollen right hand. She had a bad feeling it really was broken, and knew she'd have to at least convince him to let Combeferre look at it.

"Climb in," she said quietly, "and scoot up." She helped him get settled into the tub, then pulled off her own clothes, folding them neatly before pulling her hair up into a high bun so it wouldn't get wet. The water was comfortably hot as she stepped in and carefully sat behind Enjolras, leaning against the back of the tub and stretching her legs out alongside him. "Lean back, Gabe."

He glanced at her over his shoulder with a dark expression, just to make sure she absolutely knew he wasn't happy about this, before sinking down against her. His back was against her chest, the rest of him nestled comfortably between her legs. The physical weight of his body felt reassuring, like the anchor she'd been missing the last few days (even though he was apparently mad at her). They didn't speak, and he was still stiff and closed off, but she didn't care, because at least she was with him. Eponine kissed his temple and draped her arms over his shoulders, tracing light circles over his chest and stomach in an attempt to get him to relax and hopefully soothe him enough to talk to her. After a few minutes of her attention, Eponine felt Enjolras' energy begin to change as he laid his good hand on her knee and gently squeezed. His shoulders finally drooped as he released his tense muscles and he sighed deeply.

"I'm sorry I didn't call. I knew you'd be worried, but I just...I'm not used to having to answer to anyone. A year ago if I wanted to wallow in misery and not speak to anyone for a week, it didn't matter."

"You don't have to answer to me. I'm not here to chastise you; I was just worried, and I want you to be okay. And, I guess if you want me to leave, I will. It'll hurt," she added hesitantly, "but if it's what you want, I'll do it."

Enjolras didn't respond for a minute and Eponine held her breath, her hands frozen against his chest as she waited for his decision. Whatever it was, it felt like it would be final. He finally shook his head, picking up her hand and kissing it lightly before saying, "I don't want you to leave. I really don't."

Relief washed over her and they lapsed back into contemplative silence as Eponine coddled him a bit more. She could tell he had finally let go and just given in, comfortable with the fact that she was taking care of him. With everything he'd done for her, it felt nice to be the one to bring him some measure of comfort, even though she was the reason he was fucked up in the first place.

"My hand really fucking hurts," he finally admitted.

"I'm sure. It looks horrible."

"It's my own fault; I guess I deserve it."

"No, you don't," Eponine said firmly. "And since you won't let me take you to the ER, I'm going to at least call Combeferre to come look at it. But if he thinks it's broken, we _have _to go."

"Fine." He grumbled a bit more, mostly berating himself for doing something as stupid as punching a wall before Eponine finally got tired of it and covered his mouth with her hand.

"Shut up about it – you did it. Unless there's a time machine I'm not aware of somewhere around here, you can't go back and change it."

"Fine." Enjolras was quiet again for the next few minutes, leaning his head back against her shoulder.

"What the fuck am I going to do?" he finally whispered. "I've worked so fucking hard. I stayed late at the office, went in early, traveled wherever they asked me to, practically _won every case I had..._and I explained _everything _to him. I told him I loved you, I was honest about everything that's happened. And I really thought he might understand, that I might get suspended for a while or something, but...Jesus. I'm right back where I started, or maybe worse off. My reputation is probably going to be ruined."

Eponine sighed and squeezed his good hand. "I'm sorry. But Gabe, you're not back where you started. You've been so successful, and that has nothing to do with the firm you worked for – that was all you. Someone else is going to see everything you've done and freaking jump through hoops to hire you. Potential clients are probably going to find out you don't work there anymore and follow you wherever you go, because it's _you _they want, not your firm. It's going to be okay. You're the most amazing, wonderful, intelligent, passionate man I've ever met, and I'm not the only one who thinks that."

Enjolras twisted around to look at her for a second and managed to smile. "You know, I'd kiss you right now, but I haven't brushed my teeth in like, two days, so I'll spare you."

Eponine laughed, relieved that he seemed to be feeling better, slowly but surely. "Gee, thanks. Now come on, let's get you clean and wash your hair."

Eponine nudged him forward a bit and grabbed a washcloth and soap, moving carefully onto her knees to wash his back and chest.

"This is the first time we've been naked without going at it like rabbits," she remarked curiously as she massaged his shoulders, trying to work the knots of tension out of his muscles.

"What does that mean?" He almost sounded like his usual self, she noted.

"Maybe the honeymoon phase is over."

"Is that bad?"

"I don't know – I've never gotten past that phase in a relationship before." Eponine turned the water on again, filling the cup she'd brought with her from the kitchen. "Tilt your head back," she instructed, and slowly poured the water over him, shielding his forehead and face with her hand. She raised her eyebrows when she noticed his hair was barely wet at all, the water barely penetrating his thick strands of hair. She did it again, finally getting it soaked enough for shampoo.

"You know, your kids are going to have great hair." Eponine blanched when she realized what that implied about _them_, grateful he couldn't see her face, and slowly began working the shampoo into a lather as she blushed.

He seemed fully relaxed now and leaned into her touch like a cat. "My kids?" Enjolras asked nonchalantly, "or _our _kids?"

Her hands stilled in his hair as her heart sped up in her chest. "Oh, are we having this conversation now?" she asked lightly, not quite sure why she was trying to dodge it since it was a discussion she'd been craving for weeks, and especially since she'd been desperate for reassurance during his radio silence of the last few days, half convinced he was going to tell her that none of it had been worth the sacrifice.

"I don't mean anything by this," he said seriously, "but when _would _you like to have it? When I give up my life's work for you? Because – oh wait! - that already happened."

Eponine raised her eyebrows, not appreciate of the comeback of his sarcasm, and unceremoniously dumped another cup of water over his head, this time with no warning. It left him spluttering and spitting in front of her as water ran into his mouth and eyes.

"Oops," she said innocently.

"Damn it, Eponine! Really? Are you 5?"

"Sorry, babe." She kissed his shoulder affectionately, the sick feeling she'd been carrying the last few days dissipating at their familiar, easy banter, even with _the conversation _looming over them. "Okay, I'm ready to talk."

"You started it by talking about _our kids_, you talk."

"_You _said our kids," she said indignantly, "I was just remarking on your great hair."

He sighed impatiently. "Okay, so how are we supposed to do this? Do I ask you what you want?"

"I guess...like I said, I've never done this before, either..."

"Right. Well. What do you want? Do you want to get married? Not like, _now, _but...eventually..."

Eponine grinned as the back of his neck turned red in embarrassment, and said honestly, "Yes. I do want to get married. To you. Eventually."

"Okay. Well, good." He cleared his throat and asked hesitantly, "And do you want kids?"

"Of course, if they're yours." She smiled shyly and rested her chin on his shoulder, all the negative thoughts of an hour before forgotten as she indulged in this fantasy life for just a little while.

"How many?"

"Uh...I don't know." She scrunched her nose for a second and finally said with certainty, "Four. Yep, four."

Enjolras twisted around to face her at that, his eyes wide. "You want four fucking kids?"

Eponine laughed and shrugged. "Maybe? I mean, really, think about it." She reached out and ran her fingers through his wet, and now thankfully, clean, hair. "We'd make really cute babies."

"We've practiced enough."

Sensing a golden opportunity for torture, and still trying to make sure he knew that nothing had changed between them, she bit her lip, and said with false worry, "Would this be a really bad time to tell you I'm pregnant?"

Enjolras' eyes widened comically, and she was pretty sure he actually stopped breathing. She gazed at him for a full ten seconds before finally cracking. "Oh my God, breathe! I'm just fucking with you."

"Jesus _Christ_, Eponine! Stop fucking do shit like that." Enjolras' chest heaved dramatically as he leaned forward to rest his head against her. "I'm close enough to having a nervous breakdown as it is."

Eponine giggled and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, soothingly rubbing his back. "I'm sorry. It's just so easy to freak you out – you take everything so seriously. And you know I'll never stop doing that, it's my favorite entertainment. You're signing on for a lifetime of torture, unless you get smart and stop believing me all the time."

"I guess I can live with it, but it's your fault if you do genuinely give me a heart attack one day."

The water was now lukewarm, and Eponine shivered. Enjolras' arms tightened around her, or at least his unhurt left arm. "Are we good?" she finally asked quietly. "Because I've really been freaking out the last few days."

"We're good. I love you." Enjolras pulled away just enough to kiss her forehead.

"I love you, too."

"Good." Enjolras reached over and pulled up the bathtub drain, then looked back at her sheepishly. "I have a question..."

"Hmm?"

"Will you make me food? I'm starving now."

Eponine raised her eyebrows in amusement. "Oh my God. Okay, I take back the four kids thing, because you already count as one. How did you survive without me? You're as helpless as a baby. You do realize I literally just bathed you, right?"

"I know. And I very much enjoyed it, so feel free to give me a bath whenever the mood strikes you."

Eponine rolled her eyes and stood, grabbing a towel and wrapping it snugly around her before doing the same for Enjolras since he couldn't really use his hand. "Come on. I'll make you some grilled cheese."

* * *

Two hours later, Combeferre arrived with every piece of medical equipment known to man besides an actual x-ray machine. Eponine busied herself making coffee as he patiently poked and prodded at Enjolras' hand, even amidst the curses of pain.

"Are you going to tell me how you did this?" Combeferre asked curiously. "You're not really one to get into a physical altercation..."

Eponine kept her back to the guys, wondering what Enjolras was going to say. They hadn't admitted to any of their friends that they were together yet, though after what Gavroche said, she figured they all knew anyway.

"Do you want the long or short version?"

"Long, of course. I have a better attention span than Grantaire."

Eponine snorted as she filled one mug of coffee for Combeferre and one for Enjolras. Combeferre watched her put the correct amount of cream and sugar into Enjolras' coffee and gave her a knowing look.

"The short version is he couldn't resist and fucked me on his desk at work." She smiled smugly and took a sip of her own coffee, gazing evenly at Combeferre even as his cheeks turned red. He sat down heavily on a barstool next to Enjolras and scratched the back of his neck, finally looking away from her in embarrassment.

Enjolras rolled his eyes, but seemed appreciative that it wasn't him she teasing and making uncomfortable for once. "Well, yes. But then I got fired, which made me understandably upset, and I sort of punched a wall at Eponine's apartment. It wasn't my smartest moment," Enjolras muttered, avoiding Combeferre's eyes.

"Uh...no. I'd say it wasn't, you dumbass. A wall?"

"Better than my boss for being a horrible, condescending human being who implied some pretty filthy things about my girlfriend that I'm not going to repeat." Enjolras glanced sheepishly at Eponine and said quietly, "I'm sorry, I didn't tell you that part before."

There was that shame again, creeping back into her gut, but she shrugged and forced it away. There was no sense thinking about it now. "It's alright. So, what do you think about his hand, 'Ferre? Is it broken?"

"I think so. I hate to break it to you, Enjolras, but I think we need to go to the ER. I need an x-ray to be sure."

"Fuck." Enjolras groaned and leaned forward, banging his head against the kitchen counter dramatically. "Fuck, fuck, fuck."

Eponine reached over and put her hand under his head so he wouldn't hurt himself more, rolling her eyes at Combeferre. "It's already 5:30 – Courf is going to have Gavroche home at 6, so I can't go with you," she said apologetically. "Can you take him, 'Ferre?"

"Yeah, of course. The upside to me taking you is that at least I can give you _really_, really good pain meds."

"Joy," Enjolras said sarcastically, and raised his head to look at her. He wore a contemplative expression, and she had no idea what he might be thinking. Finally, he inclined his head toward the living room. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

"I'll go. You two lovebirds chat." Combeferre hopped off his stool and left the kitchen, leaving Enjolras and Eponine alone.

Eponine walked around the counter and stood in front of him. "What do you need? Do you want me to make you some dinner for later before I go?"

"I don't want you to go at all."

"Well, I kind of have to. A hungry fourteen year old boy is going to be at my apartment soon." She leaned in and pecked his lips, saying apologetically, "I wish I could stay, though."

"What do I need to say to convince you to come back?"

Eponine frowned. "I don't know. I mean, I can't leave Gavroche alone. Well, I could, but I don't _want _to..."

"He can come. There's a room ready for him upstairs, Eponine. I even put an X-box in there, and my wi-fi is faster than yours. We might as well use it until I lose my damn house to foreclosure or something."

Eponine blinked, cocking her head. "Are you asking me to move in with you?"

"Why not? There's nothing stopping us now."

"I...I don't know. I mean, I want to, but I need to ask Gavroche. I can't just tell him I'm uprooting him again."

Enjolras put his good hand on her waist, gently stroking her side with his thumb. "We don't have to decide right now. If you want to go home and ask him, then do it, but if you don't feel comfortable, it's alright. I just missed you the last few nights...but hell, I'll probably be so damn loopy from whatever pain meds Combeferre gives me tonight that I'll be knocked out cold."

Eponine laughed. "True. But I haven't slept in two nights, either, and I miss you and your bed. So, yeah. I'll ask him."

Enjolras smiled slowly, his eyes sparkling as he looked at her. "Good."

* * *

An hour and a half later, Eponine was back in Enjolras' house with an ecstatic Gavroche, who had jumped at the chance to go spend the night there, even after hearing the entire (more G rated version) of the story that had brought them to the boiling point of the last few days. Though he was angry in the moment the other night when Enjolras punched the wall, Gavroche had already forgiven him; he idolized Enjolras too much to be mad for long.

"Holy crap, this house is freaking amazing!" Gavroche bounced from room to room with an amount of energy Eponine couldn't even fathom as she followed behind making sure he didn't break anything with his gangly limbs.

"It is. He had to practically gut it, though, and redo everything. And I decorated it, just so you know," she said proudly.

"What room am I going to sleep in?" Gavroche took the stairs two at a time, only stumbling once when he was almost at the top. Eponine rolled her eyes at his antics, but didn't chastise him. More than likely, Gavroche had never even been in a house this nice. He was like an oversized, excitable puppy.

"I think the one at the end of the hall." She pointed to the bedroom furthest from the master, a strategic move on Enjolras' part.

Gavroche bounded down the hall and opened the door, stopping short in the doorway. "Whoa. Wait, are you sure this is just a guest room? It looks like someone lives here. There's a freaking X-box!"

Eponine followed him in, her eyes widening as she took in the room. The last time she'd seen it, it looked _nothing _like this. The walls were now striped in light grey, green, and blue; curtains hung in the window, and a few posters of Gavroche's favorite soccer players were framed on the wall above the bed. There was a full size bed, dresser, desk, and nightstands, and craziest of all, an amazing gaming chair sitting in front of the TV. There was absolutely no doubt about it – Enjolras made this room specifically for Gavroche, and he had done it without telling her.

Just when she thought she couldn't love him more, he went and did something like this. She couldn't believe that just that morning, she had been so desperate and worried about him that she'd thought everything might be over.

"Can we move in here?" Gavroche asked in amazement. "Because I could totally live here! This is way cooler than my room at home."

Eponine turned away, trying to hide the tears that suddenly sprang to her eyes. She swallowed hard, too overcome to speak for a minute. Gavroche walked across the room and stood curiously in front of her, raising his eyebrows when he saw her face. "Eponine? What's wrong?"

"He made this room for you," she said quietly. "Gabe _wants_ us to move in. I didn't know he did this. God, Gavroche..." She laughed and covered her face, embarrassed at her reaction and the fact that she was spilling her guts to her little brother. "I freaking love him. I'm so in love with him, and I want to be here with him all the time. I want to move in, but I also have to do what's best for you, and I don't want to be too rash or make this decision lightly..."

"Eponine, if he wants us to move in, then let's freaking move in!" Gavroche practically screamed. "Look at this place!"

Eponine laughed and shook her head, sitting down on the bed and bouncing a little to test it out. "Look, I'm not going to say yes or no right now. Let's have a trial period, okay? A few weeks. Don't get sucked in by the glamour like he wants you to, the sneaky bastard. He knew you'd love this, and he knew I'd love it because it makes you happy...he's playing us."

"He can do whatever he wants. Look at this chair!" Gavroche sank down into the gaming chair and fist pumped the air. "This thing is so cool."

"Don't get comfortable," Eponine said sternly. "It's after 6:30 already and you still haven't eaten dinner, done your homework, or taken a shower. So get started on that stuff and only then can you play video games. Bed time is still 10."

"But, Ep..." Gavroche whined. "Tomorrow is Friday! I can be tired one day. Or, even better, I can play hooky! I haven't been absent a single day this year. One day won't kill me!"

"No, but I will, so don't even think about it." She lightly smacked his head as she walked to the door. "Get started on your homework. And when Gabe gets back from the hospital, you need to come straight down and thank him for this room. There aren't many people who would do something like this for us, you know."

"I know," Gavroche said seriously. "Believe me, I know."

Eponine grinned and shut the bedroom door behind her, comfortable with giving Gavroche his privacy. And secretly, she wouldn't be too miffed if he didn't quite finish his homework or decided to stay up all night playing video games, though she'd never let him know that. Either way, his ass would still be in school tomorrow, though, because she was strict about that.

Though she was still anxious about his job situation and feeling guilty beyond belief for the part she'd played in it, she was confident now that they were going to be okay. They could move past this and have a future together.

She made a simple dinner of spaghetti since it was fast, and also for sentimental reasons, since it was the first dinner the three of them (plus Courfeyrac) had ever eaten together. It was rather fitting for their first night all staying in the same house, _almost _like a family, she thought. Just as she finished, she heard a car door slam in the driveway, and Enjolras and Combeferre came in the back door. Not caring at all that she had an audience, she strode up to Enjolras without a word and kissed him, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. He kissed her back once he got over the surprise of it, and gave her a lopsided grin when she pulled away.

"Hi. I guess you came back?"

"I did. And _you..._you are in so much trouble," she teased. "You have a kid upstairs who literally never wants to leave your house again."

Just as she finished the thought, she heard Gavroche pounding down the stairs and into the kitchen. He skidded to a stop in his sock feet in front of her and Enjolras and started talking a mile a minute. "Holy _shit_, Enjolras! That room is amazing! It..."

Eponine was just about to chastise Gavroche for his language when Enjolras beat her to it, and the sight made her smile so wide she had to turn away, busying herself putting spaghetti on plates. Combeferre appeared beside her as Gavroche continued to extol about his room. She glanced at him and grinned. "Sorry, you kind of walked into a mad house."

"I see that – I kind of feel like I'm in the Twilight Zone."

"Oh, shit, I didn't even ask..." She rolled her eyes at herself, feeling horrible. "How is his hand? Is it broken?"

"Yeah, but not bad. Just a small fracture. It's in a splint and he _has _to keep it on, so watch him. But he seems to be in an okay mood for just losing his job. I thought he'd be devastated, but..."

"Oh, 'Ferre, you didn't see him earlier. Believe me, there was an intervention. It was bad."

Combeferre looked at her thoughtfully, and for so long she started to feel a bit uncomfortable. "What?" she finally asked. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I just...I mean, I knew he _really _liked you. I knew there were serious feelings there. But he really freaking loves you. I just never thought I'd see the day."

"Oh." Eponine blushed and looked away, biting her lip. "Well. Yeah. He's pretty great, too." She glanced back over at Enjolras, who was patiently listening as Gavroche explained all the different features of the gaming chair (though he probably already knew them), and then looked back at Combeferre, changing the subject. "Can you stay for dinner?"

Combeferre smiled and shook his head. "Nah, thanks, though. I'm gonna let you guys be alone." He leaned over and hugged her tightly. "I'm glad you're here. Seriously, be hard on him about that splint. He has a tendency to not follow directions very well."

"I will. Thanks, 'Ferre."

Combeferre said goodbye to Enjolras and Gavroche as Eponine put the spaghetti on the table. She finally forced Gavroche to calm down a bit and eat his dinner, though he ran back upstairs as soon as it was over, and Eponine looked at Enjolras and slowly shook her head.

"This has been the craziest week of my life. And what you did for him...Gabe. I can't even. You're never going to get rid of him."

Enjolras smiled and shrugged. "That's the plan, Eponine."

Even though it was only 8 o'clock, they were both so tired they could barely stay awake. Eponine cleaned up dinner with Enjolras' help, though he couldn't do much with only one good hand. Before going up to bed, he took the pills Combeferre had given him for pain, and within minutes, was practically sleepwalking. Eponine giggled at him as he brushed his teeth with drooping eyelids, and was sure he would be fast asleep by the time she laid down.

She crawled into bed with a sigh; even though there was still a lot of uncertainty as far as Enjolras' job, she felt one hundred percent more optimistic than she had that morning. And now she was back exactly where she belonged, gazing contently at Enjolras as he slept, even though her eyes hadn't quite adjusted to the dark. He still hadn't shaved, and Eponine had never seem him with so much stubble; she actually rather liked it. Unable to resist, she reached out and ran her finger over his jaw and cheek, smiling sheepishly when he opened his eyes and looked at her.

"Sorry," she whispered. "I didn't mean to wake you up."

"You didn't." He scooted closer and kissed her, affectionately brushing her nose with his.

"How does your hand feel?"

"Not too bad, I guess. It could be worse."

"'Ferre told me to make sure you keep your splint on. No taking it off," she said sternly.

"I won't. I prefer to be on your good side." Enjolras yawned, his eyes heavy, as he rested his forehead against hers. He closed his eyes and they fell into silence. Eponine thought once again that he had fallen asleep, when he suddenly said quietly, "You make everything better, Eponine. Who fucking cares if I lost my job. I'll find another one. But I'm only ever going to have one of you, and you were worth losing it for."

"Thank you." Eponine bit her lip and sighed, feeling like a weight had been lifted off her chest to know he really, truly felt that way. It was an incredible feeling. "Now go to sleep, Gabe. You're getting cheesy, so I know you're delirious," she teased.

He smiled, eyes still closed, and nodded. Eponine had almost fallen asleep herself when he whispered in her ear, "Marry me, Eponine."

She opened her eyes slowly, strangely calm, to find him looking at her in the dark. "Excuse me?"

"Marry me?"

She didn't answer for a minute, trying to figure out if he was serious or not.

"Yes," she finally answered, but quickly added, "But I very, _very _seriously doubt you're even going to remember this conversation in the morning. So ask me again in a few days when you're not exhausted and hopped up on medication."

Enjolras smiled smugly and shrugged. "I'm going to remember. You said yes. I'm holding you to that."

Eponine laughed and turned over onto her other side so her back was against his chest. "You do that."

* * *

_**I have found my sweet spot and it is fluff, y'all. I've fought it for years, but I give up. Go with what you're good at, I suppose! And honestly, I feel like I'm accomplishing exactly what I set out to with this story, which is JUST A SIMPLE, PURE, FLUFFY, UNAPOLOGETIC LOVE STORY.**_

_**I so rarely see them, honestly, when I really think about it. So. I hope you enjoyed. PLEASE, please, please let me know what you think! Help me break 100 reviews! :)**_

_**And, everyone that celebrates, I hope everyone has a wonderful, and safe, 4th of July!**_


	9. Chapter 9

_**I'm putting my little note here because I wanted to leave the end of the chapter just as it is without butting in. This is the LAST chapter, but I will post an epilogue hopefully later this week.**_

_**Thank you, thank you, thank you to every single person who has read this story over the last few weeks, and thank you especially to those kind enough to review. I appreciate it so much, you have no idea. Even the simplest reviews make writers feel so good.**_

_**This story is so indulgent on my part, and really, the first thing I've ever written that I felt went EXACTLY as planned and accomplished everything I wanted it to. It's my "Say Anything," John Hughes, Carly Simon, "Working Girl", CRAZY 80s inspired love story. It's MEANT to be a little over the top. I wanted it to be pure fluffy goodness, with just the right amount of angst in the right place, and I think I did it. (We'll see how I feel in a month or two when I look back, but for right now, I'm HAPPY).**_

_**Please review! And if you really do want to see if I did what I wanted to do, think of those movies, listen to the song, and see what you think. :) Enjoy the last chapter.**_

* * *

**ix.**

The next morning, Eponine and Enjolras were woken by a hesitant knock on their bedroom door.

"Ep? Are you awake?"

Eponine groaned and rubbed her eyes, glancing over at the clock to see it was only 5:30. "I am now. What do you need, Gav?" He cracked the door just enough to be heard and covered his eyes as he peeked in. It didn't matter, since they were both fully clothed after finally getting a night of peaceful sleep.

"We're nowhere near my bus stop. So, if you want me to go to school today, which is _totally _optional!...you have to get up and take me in a little while."

After contemplating for a minute, she finally sighed and said with finality, "Screw it. Go back to bed, Gav. Missing a day won't kill you."

"Score! Thanks, sis." Gavroche closed the door and Eponine reached over to the nightstand to grab her cell phone. She quickly called his school and left a message on their answering machine, lying smoothly and saying that Gavroche was sick. Enjolras hadn't stirred, but he laughed quietly as she settled back down next to him, her back against his front.

"Letting him play hooky because you feel lazy, huh?"

"Oh, shut it. Do _you _want to get out of bed and take him?"

"No. And I don't want you to, either." He shifted his hips closer and Eponine smiled as she felt his morning hardness press against her bottom.

"Is there something in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?" she joked.

Enjolras snorted and began kissing her neck, his good hand finding it's way under her shirt to caress her stomach and the the underside of her breasts. "You're such a dork."

"Well if you're going to call me names, I'm not going to let you have your way with me."

"I'll play nice." Enjolras brushed his fingers across her nipples until they pebbled and peaked at his touch, making her breath catch in her throat. A knot of desire was slowly pooling in her belly and she squirmed against him as he slipped his fingers lower to expertly stroke between her legs.

"You're pretty...oh, fuck...good with your left hand, too," Eponine finally managed to squeak, turning her face into the pillow to stifle a moan as he slowly plunged his fingers inside of her.

"Good to know."

Eponine pressed her hips back against his erection and ground slowly, making him hiss against her ear. He added another finger, curling them perfectly inside of her until she whimpered, clutching the sheets in her hands and hooking her leg back over his.

"Tell me what you want," Enjolras whispered.

Eponine moaned. God, she loved it when he started the dirty talk, and was always happy to play along. Anything that made him finally lose control was good in her book and usually, very simple things drove him crazy. "I want you inside me, Gabe. I want you to make me come so hard."

"Fuck, Eponine." He slowly removed his fingers from her center and hastily pushed down his boxers and her underwear. Eponine lifted her leg just enough for him to push into her from behind, thrusting his hips forward until he was buried inside of her.

Eponine turned her head, their mouths meeting in a messy, awkward kiss. This position was usually one of her favorites, their bodies so close together she could barely tell where one ended and the other began. Today, however, with one limb out of commission, Enjolras was a bit limited with where his hands could wander on her body. After a few minutes of making love in a steady, sweet, rhythm that would have definitely eventually brought her over the edge, Eponine grew too impatient to wait. Before he could protest, Eponine pulled away and pushed Enjolras onto his back, glancing down at his hand.

"You're going to have to get used to being on the bottom for a while with that splint." Eponine grinned as she moved to straddle his hips, sinking back down onto his length with a whimper of pleasure. He filled her so completely when their bodies met like this that there was nowhere else on Earth that she'd rather be. She ground her hips down in slow circles, building up a delicious friction between them.

"I think I can get used to it. Oh, fuck, Eponine..." Enjolras moved his hand to her bottom and squeezed, pushing her up and down his shaft ever so slightly. She leaned forward and trailed kisses along his chest, licking and sucking at the hollow of his throat. When he moved his hand to her breasts, hastily trying to push her shirt up and over them, Eponine leaned up farther to tangle her hands in his hair and bring his head forward. His mouth closed over her nipple in a wet, open mouthed kiss.

"Gabe," she panted. "Oh, please, please..." She always knew she was close when she got to the point of begging, and so did he.

The contact of his teeth against her skin sent a bolt of fire straight between her legs and she cried out, beginning to move her hips more rapidly. The sound of their bodies meeting filled the room and Eponine sat up, pulling almost completely off of Enjolras before sinking back down. "God, I'm so close..."

Enjolras put his hand between her legs to circle her clit with his thumb, making Eponine cry out again. "I love you so much. Come for me, Eponine," he growled, his eyes dark and filled with passion as he gazed at her above him.

Her thighs shook as she climaxed, moaning his name and squeezing her eyes shut. He cursed as her walls clenched around his cock, and Enjolras reached his own peak almost as soon as she did. She leaned forward and kissed him hard as they both rode out their orgasms, her hips finally still as Enjolras thrust up into her a final time. She eventually broke the kiss, gasping for air, and laid her head against his shoulder, trailing light kisses along his jaw as his strong arms encircled her back. She didn't move off of him; the feeling of him inside of her was still too good to break.

"Yeah, I can definitely get used to being on the bottom," Enjolras confirmed after a minute, and Eponine laughed, raising her head to look at him.

"Yeah, right. You like to be in charge too much to let me do this too often."

"Me? Like to be in charge? I don't know where you ever got that idea."

"Yeah, I must be crazy." Eponine finally moved next to Enjolras on the bed, sighing at the loss of contact. As she gazed at him laying next to her, the last part of their conversation from the night before suddenly rushed back.

Jesus, had he really proposed to her? Had she said yes? Did he actually mean it? Did he even freaking remember it happening?

"Eponine? Hello?" Enjolras waved his hand in front of her face and Eponine jumped, realizing he'd been talking for a solid ten seconds and she hadn't heard any of it.

"Sorry! What did you say?"

"I asked if we could go back to sleep for a few hours..." He looked at her strangely. "Are you okay? You zoned out there."

"I'm fine! I'm just tired, I guess. So yeah, let's go back to sleep." She nestled into his side, resting her head against his chest, and closed her eyes.

There was no way in hell _she _was going to remind him that he proposed to her. So, if he didn't mention it again, Eponine decided, she would just forget it happened.

* * *

Over the next few days, Enjolras didn't say a word about his impromptu, probably drug induced, proposal. By the time the one week mark rolled around, Eponine decided to officially let it go – there was so much change happening as it was, that it was better to not add one more thing to the list. So far, the living situation was perfect; she had even gone to Gavroche's school and changed his bus route with Enjolras' address. The hole in her apartment wall was fixed, and surprisingly, her landlord let her out of her lease with no problems since he already had someone who wanted to rent the apartment. She even got lucky and sold the new tenants most of her furniture, taking only sentimental, personal things with her. Her trial living period of a few weeks had gone by the wayside after only a few days, but Gavroche didn't care. He was happier than she had ever seen him.

A few days before Eponine was scheduled to begin her new job, Enjolras walked into the den where she was watching TV talking to someone on his cell phone. He rolled his eyes at her and mouthed, 'It's my mom,' before sighing into the phone.

"Okay! Mom, stop it. I'm asking her right now, she's right here. Just hold on." He covered the phone and sat down next to her on the couch. "So..."

"What do you need to ask me?" she asked nervously. There was still no parental contact on her part, and she had a feeling she knew the answer to her own question.

"I told my parents that you and Gavroche moved in and they're kind of pissed at me since I still haven't introduced you. They want us to come over for dinner tomorrow night..." He looked at her hopefully.

"Oh. Uh...Yeah? I want to meet them. But, honestly, can we do it here? I don't mind cooking; it would probably make me less nervous."

"Are you sure? You really want to play hostess the first time you meet my parents?" he asked skeptically.

"Yes! Seriously, being on my own turf will make it easier. Is that okay with you?" She chewed on her lip and turned towards him on the couch.

"Baby, it's fine with me – whatever you want. Can I tell her?"

Eponine nodded and watched him finish the conversation with his mom. Enjolras turned back to her when he hung up and put his hand on her leg, squeezing her thigh. "Are you sure you're up for this?"

"Of course." Eponine shrugged. "It has to happen sometime, right? And the longer we wait, the more awkward it will be."

"True. They're holding something else over my head until they meet you, too, so..."

"What the hell do you mean by that?"

"I kind of came up with a plan. A career plan. I didn't say anything because I like to thoroughly think things through before I talk about them, but do you want to hear it?"

Eponine rolled her eyes and lightly smacked his arm. "Of course! Why would you even ask me that?"

Enjolras laughed and pinched her leg in retaliation. "I don't know! I don't want to bore you. But anyway; over the last few days, a couple of my old clients contacted me. Long story short, they've kept me on their cases, but independently, since I'm technically unemployed. That doesn't mean I can't practice law, though – I just don't work for that firm. So, anyway, one of them just came right out and asked why I don't start my own practice; I have a clear specialty, a good reputation, a minor in business...so. What do you think?"

"Gabe! That's brilliant! So brilliant that I can't believe you didn't decide to just do it right away." Eponine leaned over and kissed him soundly, pulling away when she realized she still didn't understand something. "But wait, what does that have to do with your parents holding something over you?"

"Oh. Well, it takes money to start my own practice. I need a business license and a marketing plan and all of that stuff...and since I'm probably going to need to dip into my savings to keep the house, I asked my parents if I could borrow some money. They said yes, but only if they finally got to meet you," he said sheepishly.

"Well, I guess that's a pretty easy trade-off. I'm glad I can be of use," she teased, and scooted onto his lap to straddle his hips. "My parents, on the other hand, would have laughed in my face and asked for my first born child if I even dared ask for ten dollars. So is there anything else you need my help with?"

"I can think of a few things..."

For the next few minutes, they concentrated on nothing but each other's wandering hands and teasing lips. They were just about to move to the privacy of their bedroom when an indignant Gavroche disrupted them.

"HEY! Really?! Seriously, guys?! Do I need to be scared every time I walk into what I think is an empty room in this house?!" He covered his eyes and turned around dramatically, bumping into the wall on purpose before finding the door.

Eponine's cheeks colored in embarrassment, but she giggled at Gavroche's antics and buried her face in Enjolras' neck. "Oh my God. My brother doesn't need to see me like that."

Enjolras just laughed. "Lesson learned. Keep sex in the bedroom."

* * *

Dinner with Enjolras' parents went much better than Eponine anticipated. Her food was delicious, Gavroche was on his best behavior and acted completely charming, and she managed to answer every question they had without too many socially awkward moments. At the end of the night, they politely asked to talk to Enjolras in the den and Eponine crossed her fingers; hopefully, he'd walk out with enough money to not only reboot his career, but make it even better than before.

Enjolras gave her a small wink when they came back out and she breathed a sigh of relief. Even though she knew he didn't blame her for everything that happened, and they were stronger than ever now, Eponine had a feeling she would always carry a tiny bit of guilt when she thought about that day that everything fell apart. She didn't think she'd ever forget Mr. Franklin's face as he stared at her in the hall, so judgmental and cold.

Eponine was shaken out of her thoughts as Enjolras' mom, Liz, pulled her into a tight hug to say goodbye. It took her a bit by surprise; she wasn't used to anyone but Enjolras hugging her, really, and it was especially strange coming from a woman. She didn't even remember the last time her own mother had hugged her, or if she ever had at all. After they left, Enjolras turned to her anxiously and asked, "So? What do you think? They didn't drive you crazy, did they? Did you like them?"

Eponine leaned against the wall by the front door, trying to put her thoughts in order. "_Yes_, I liked them! They're both amazing and I think you're incredibly lucky," she said honestly. "I can't even imagine what it's like having parents that support you, let alone that freaking _adore _you so much. They clearly think that you hung the moon."

Enjolras' eyes softened as he looked at her and Eponine immediately bristled a little bit. She hated pity, but she also knew it was really hard for a lot of people to not feel it when they knew about her situation. "Don't look at me like that," she sighed. "I hate it when you feel sorry for me. Or when anyone feels sorry for me."

"I can't help it," he said indignantly. "I love you. And I want every single thing in your life to make you happy. I don't want you to ever be sad about anything again for as long as you live."

Eponine shook her head and wrapped her arms around his waist. "That's a little impossible, but I know how you feel. It killed me when you were so upset last week. Speaking of which, what did they say about the money?"

"They think you're amazing, so they're giving it to me." Enjolras kissed the top of her head and grinned.

"Oh, right!" Eponine laughed. "I'm sure it was all about me and not about the amazing freaking kid they raised. You're every parent's dream child."

"Speaking of dream children, they were really impressed with Gavroche, too. They want to come to one of his soccer games and watch him play."

"Oh. Wow. Yeah, I'm sure he'd love that!" She didn't know what else to say – it touched her that they'd even care at all, and it was something she hadn't expected. For the first time in her life, Eponine felt optimistic not only about her own future, but Gav's, too; there had always been a lingering fear in the back of her mind that no matter what she did, he would fall victim to the same streets her father had, and so many of her peers growing up. Now he was surrounded by so many people that could lead him in positive directions, and doing _so well _in school and with soccer, that she could see the complete picture of the man he was growing into. And it was a damn good picture.

In a few hours, Eponine went to bed before Enjolras, who was typing away madly on his laptop, re-energized when it came to work and doing a massive amount of research on everything it took to begin his own law practice. Around midnight, she awoke to him sitting on the side of the bed, gently shaking her shoulder.

"Eponine? Wake up, babe."

She blinked groggily and rose onto her elbow, looking at him in confusion. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I..." He suddenly looked incredibly nervous, and wiped his hands on his pants before glancing back at her. The only light came from the open window blinds and nightlight in the bathroom, but Eponine could still see him clearly.

"Why did you wake me up, crazy pants? Come to bed." Eponine laid back down and tugged on his hand.

"No, I...shit. I wanted to ask you something." He cleared his throat nervously and Eponine's eyebrows shot up. She had a sneaking suspicion she knew exactly what he was doing. "I mean, actually, I think I already asked, unless I dreamed that, which is possible, because honestly, I think I was kind of high? But..."

Eponine sat up slowly. "You didn't dream it. You asked."

"I did?" He sighed and looked at her in relief. "Good. That kind of makes this easier then, I guess." Without warning, Enjolras suddenly scooted off the bed and onto one knee on the floor, smiling up at her shyly.

Eponine's eyes widened as he took her hands. She was definitely wide awake now. "Gabe..."

"Shh. Let me talk. I had a whole fucking speech planned and now I can't remember a damn thing," he confessed, and Eponine laughed, sobering when he frowned at her.

"I'm sorry! It's not funny! I don't know how to act when someone proposes to me for the second time in the middle of the night!"

"Well, laughing at me probably doesn't help!" He took a deep breath and squeezed her hands, then said seriously, "Okay, here goes. I know this is really fast, Eponine, and a lot of people are probably going to think it's crazy and stupid, but I don't care. I can never make fun of Pontmercy again, because I thought he was a damn fool when he fell so quickly for Cosette, and now it happened to me. I will never regret a single thing about falling in love with you, and if I had to do it all over again, I would do it the same. I know we could wait and give it time and it wouldn't change how I feel about you at all, but I'm impatient and I don't _like_ to wait," he confessed.

Eponine giggled and nodded in agreement as she blinked away a few tears that threatened to fall. "I agree; waiting sucks."

"So. For the second time...will you marry me?" Enjolras reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring, holding it out to her hopefully.

"What?! When...where..." She didn't even think he _had _a ring yet, that this was more of an off the cuff kind of proposal rather than a pre-meditated one. Her mouth fell open as she stared from his face to the ring in his hand, absolutely astonished that he'd actually thought this through and must have planned to ask for days.

Enjolras leaned forward expectantly, his expression a little bit worried at her lack of response. "Eponine? You already said yes," he reminded her. "You can't take that back!"

"Oh my God. Yes! Yes!" Eponine grabbed his arms and pulled him onto the bed next to her, laughing as she kissed him all over his face. "I didn't realize you were really, honestly, serious! Who decides to propose in the dark in the middle of the freaking night? _Twice?_" she teased.

"I was going to ask earlier, but I chickened out. Now do you want to put this ring on your finger or not?"

"Yes! I can't even see it!" She reached over and turned the bedside lamp on, then slowly reached out and gave him her left hand, smiling expectantly.

"I hope you like it – it actually belonged to my grandmother; my mom brought it over for me tonight." Enjolras slipped it on her finger, then brought her hand to his lips and kissed it, watching her reaction.

Eponine's breath caught in her throat. "I...it was your grandmother's? And your mom is okay with me having it?" she asked incredulously. "Oh my _God, _it's beautiful. It's amazing! I love it so much!" Eponine whispered, holding it up to the light to gaze at it more closely. It was clearly old, but immaculately cared for, and extremely unusual; vines, leaves, and flowers twisted around the band, with small white diamonds woven in. In the center was a deep red ruby, which happened to be her favorite stone. "Oh, Gabe..."

"I know it's not as flashy as most engagement rings or as expensive, but my mom always made sure I knew it was an option for me to have one day. And I kind of thought it seemed more like you than some big rock, anyway. But if you want that, I can get one!" he added.

"No! No, I don't want one at all. This is perfect, you're right. God, thank you...you're amazing, even if you did do this when I'm not wearing any pants."

Enjolras grinned and leaned forward to kiss her, lowering her slowly onto her back and pressing his body down against hers. "Or maybe that was a strategic move on my part, hm?"

An hour later, after they had their fill of each other, Eponine sat up against the headboard, holding her hand up to inspect her ring again. It felt so strange on her finger, and she was startled every time she felt it's weight, however slight. She was _engaged._

Enjolras watched her, laying on his side and smiling like a fool. "You keep looking at it," he remarked. "It's not going to disappear."

"I know! I mean...holy _shit_, we're engaged! I'm going to marry you."

"I know. Speaking of which; when?"

"Oh. I don't know! I haven't even thought about it yet. God, you're right," she realized. "People are going to think we're _crazy._ They just found out we're even together, and suddenly I moved in, and now two weeks later you propose? You're _worse _than Marius, my friend."

Enjolras laughed and shrugged. "Can I make it even worse with this? Because, to be honest, I don't want to wait very long."

Eponine bit her lip. "How long are you thinking?"

"I would marry you tomorrow, Eponine," he said seriously. "So you tell me. If you want to wait a month, I will. If you want to wait six months, I'll whine a little bit, but okay. And, I guess if you want to wait a year, I'll deal with it. I won't be happy, but I'll do it. So it's your call." His fingers gently stroked her leg, and Eponine stared at him, lost in thought. What did she want?

"I don't want a big wedding," she confessed quietly. "The thought of all that planning just makes me want to scream. So there's no reason to wait a year."

"Good."

"But," she said practically, "I _am _starting a new job in two days, and you're embarking on a _huge _new endeavor that needs your time and energy, so do you really think it would be super smart to get married that soon?"

"I guess not," he conceded. "So how long are you going to make me wait?"

"It's almost October," Eponine thought out loud. "And then the holidays are always so busy, and I want to make sure they're really good for Gav this year since it's our first all together...but then after the new year, there's nothing big. And I always thought it would be nice to get married in the spring, but I'm still in school then, so we wouldn't be able to go on a honeymoon. So what about June?" she asked hopefully.

"I like June. So can we say the first Saturday of the month, whatever that is?"

"Absolutely." Eponine shook her head and slid back under the covers, letting out an incredulous laugh. "That means it will be barely a year between when we officially started dating in New York and when we get married. We're insane."

"What can I say? I go after things I want. And even though I didn't know I wanted this out of life, I knew almost as soon as we met that I wanted _you. _So I went after you." Enjolras smiled, his eyes soft, serious, and full of promise as he gazed at her. "And I swear, Eponine, that I'll never _stop. _I will always chase you, I will always be there, and I will always, always want you."

* * *

The next few months flew by. Eponine's new job was perfect, Enjolras' practice was gaining traction, and their extremely tiny wedding had somehow turned into a modestly sized affair to be held in his parent's backyard. Cosette was going to be her only bridesmaid and default matron of honor, but poor Enjolras still had to choose a best man. His friends campaigns to win the role had been pretty comical so far, and with only about three weeks until the wedding, Enjolras was now running out of time to choose someone.

One night before bed, Gavroche cornered her in the kitchen and asked nervously, "Uh...Ep? I have a question..."

"Yeah?"

"So, I know I'm supposed to walk you down the aisle and everything, but. What if I was the best man instead?"

Eponine raised her eyebrows and turned to look at him, frowning. "Why do you say that? Did Gabe say something?"

"He just mentioned that it would be easier if I was the best man, and that he had wanted to ask me, but then you said I was walking you down the aisle, so he just never said anything, but...I kind of think I would like that better," Gavroche confessed. "Not that giving you away isn't great or anything!"

"But being the best man is cooler," Eponine sighed. "I get it."

"Would you be sad about it, though? I know it's kind of a thing to have your dad walk you down the aisle and since ours is a piece of shit, I know I was the next best thing. So if you're sad, I won't do it."

"Won't do what?" Enjolras asked curiously as he walked into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge.

"Be your best man," Eponine said with a sigh.

"What? Gav, I know I said I wanted you to be, but I didn't mean to go ask if you could suddenly switch roles. I just said it in passing." Enjolras leaned on the counter next to her and put his hand on her back.

"Oh. Okay. It's fine! Walking you down the aisle is great, too," Gavroche conceded, but Eponine could tell he was a little disappointed. She understood, too; it felt more important to be standing up there next to Enjolras, a part of their union rather than a passing thought.

"You know what? No," she said firmly. "Gabe, if you really meant it and were going to ask him before I ruined that, then I want him to be your best man. That's a way more important job. And this way none of your friends will have sore feelings."

"Eponine," Enjolras said gently, "if he's my best man, then who's going to give you away?"

"Me! I'll give myself away. Does Gavroche own me? Do my parents? It's kind of a barbaric tradition, anyway, isn't it? I'm the one that decided to marry you, and I certainly don't need a man to cling to as I walk down the aisle. It's kind of symbolic, right? I've been very _alone _and independent so far in life, and now, I won't be. I'll be walking to you, and I'll never be alone again."

Eponine stuck her tongue out at Gavroche as he started to make gagging noises, apparently disgusted by her romantic sentiments. Enjolras tossed his water bottle at him without even taking his eyes off of her.

"Are you sure?" he asked, ignoring Gav's nauseated performance. "Because honestly, I agree with you; I think walking down the aisle alone fits you pretty perfectly. But I want you to be absolutely, 100% positive about it."

"I am! Completely. And if I change my mind, then I'm sure that Courf of 'Ferre or _all _of them would be more than happy to have the job." Eponine leaned over and gave Enjolras a quick kiss, then turned to look sternly at Gavroche. "But _you. _ No freaking strippers at the bachelor party, got it?"

* * *

A week before the wedding, Eponine decided the stress and anxiety was finally getting to her. Her stomach was in knots all day and she could barely look at food without wanting to throw up. And she _did _at a few random, completely unpredictable times. She absolutely refused to get sick, though, and resolutely ignored it...or at least she tried to, until three days before the wedding.

She and Cosette went to pick up their dresses, which fit absolutely perfectly after their final fittings a few weeks ago, and then went to have a quick dinner at their favorite cafe. They sat on the patio, since the weather was gorgeous, and Cosette grilled her about all the last minute details she thought Eponine might be missing.

"You're sure you ordered all the flowers you need, right? And have some extra space for people who didn't RSVP but are going to show up, anyway?"

"Everything is set, believe me. I haven't even really had to do much – my future mother-in-law could seriously run her own party planning business. She's thought of everything."

"I can't believe you're getting married," Cosette said, shaking her head in disbelief. "It all happened so fast. I thought you'd be the sensible one and date for years and years before finally saying yes."

"I kind of thought so, too, but why wait?" Eponine shrugged. "It's not like I've ever had a doubt since I met Gabe that I wanted to be with him. And, you know, he's a couple years older than me. He doesn't have dating years to waste," she joked.

Cosette laughed. "Oh Lord, 29 isn't old. I guess he is 30 in August, though, isn't he?"

"Yep. And I have big plans to torture him about it. I'm going to fill the bedroom with black balloons in the middle of the night and get him all of this 'over the hill' stuff. He's gonna love it." Eponine's eyes followed a server past their table who carried an enormous piece of chocolate cake, and she abruptly changed the subject. "Ohhhhhh my gosh. I want that," Eponine said desperately.

Cosette glanced over and moaned. "That looks so, so good. But - wedding. We have dresses to fit into."

"I don't care!" Eponine exclaimed. "One piece of chocolate cake isn't going to mean our freaking dresses won't zip up. Let's at least split it?"

"You're the bride – if you insist."

Eponine flagged down their server and ordered just one piece, sighing in delight as it was finally delivered to their table. "Chocolate! Ugh, I have dreamed about it. You know Gabe let me have my way and our _entire _cake is chocolate? I know it's not everybody's thing, but it's my wedding, so I get my way," Eponine said smugly.

"I completely approve of a chocolate wedding cake. Good for you."

Eponine closed her eyes as she took her first bite, expecting to feel the usual euphoria that chocolate brought her, but beginning to feel the first stirrings of nausea in her stomach instead. Maybe if she just ignored it, it would go away. She _needed _chocolate, she could _live _off of chocolate. There was no way chocolate was going to make her sick. Instead of its usual delicious taste, however, the cake tasted like chalk in her mouth. It may as well have been dirt.

"This is so good, you were right. Good move ordering it," Cosette affirmed, and Eponine opened her eyes to glare at her.

"You think it's good?"

"Yeah! It's delicious."

Eponine put her hand on her stomach and pushed her plate away. "Ugh. Fuck. It tastes awful, are you crazy? Just the smell is making me sick." She took a deep breath and a sip of water, but immediately regretted it. With very little warning, Eponine suddenly knew she was going to throw up, and practically sprinted to the edge of the street, vomiting her entire dinner on the curb between two parked cars.

After a second, she felt Cosette's hands holding her hair back. "Eponine! Oh my gosh, are you alright?"

Eponine stood shakily after her stomach was completely empty and sighed, accepting a fresh glass of water from their server who had followed them over to make sure she was alright.

"God, that was embarrassing," she mumbled as Cosette helped her back to their table.

Cosette looked at her in concern and asked the server to take the cake away and put it in a to-go box. When she looked back at Eponine, it was with a decidedly suspicious expression. "Eponine? Is there something you need to tell me?"

"No?" Eponine said in confusion. "What the hell would I need to tell you, besides the fact that I guess I'm sick?"

"Has that ever happened before?" Cosette leaned forward eagerly, willing her to try and make the connection.

"A few times this past week...I think I'm just fighting a bug or something. Or I'm anxious about the wedding. It goes as fast as it comes." She shrugged dismissively and Cosette rolled her eyes.

"Okay, I'm going to just come out and say it. When was your last period?"

Eponine's eyes widened as she realized what Cosette was hinting at. "I...what?! No! I'm not pregnant!"

Cosette just stared at her skeptically.

"I'm not!" Eponine insisted. "I mean, I don't _think _I am...I..." She quickly calculated in her head and then gasped. "Holy shit! I'm late! Oh my God. I should have started my period over a week ago...like, two weeks ago tomorrow? I'm almost two weeks late. I'm _never _late!"

"What do you want to do? Do you want to go home and tell Enjolras or go get a test or what?"

"I don't know! What should I do?!" Eponine took another sip of water, her hands shaking. _Of course_, she thought to herself, _of course you would get knocked up before your wedding._

"Well, either way, you're going to need to take a test. So why don't we at least go get one, okay?" Cosette said practically.

Eponine agreed, and followed her back to the car in shock after they paid for their food. Cosette went into a Walgreens near her house and bought three different tests for Eponine, "just to be safe." Deciding that it was better to know for sure before she threw this on her soon-to-be husband, Eponine went home with Cosette and took all three tests, staring at them anxiously as they waited for the results.

"What. The. Hell. Am. I. Going. To. Do?" Eponine punctuated each word emphatically.

"Well, what can you do? It kind of fits in with your theme, anyway!" Cosette said brightly. "You know, the whole moving really fast thing you and Enjolras have going on?"

Eponine rolled her eyes and didn't say anything, finally noticing one of the tests turning a very distinctive shade of pink. "Holy shit. It's pink. There's a pink plus sign."

Cosette gasped and gestured to another one. "This one actually fucking says it. Look!" She held it up for Eponine to see, the word 'pregnant' clearly written on the little strip. "Congratulations, mommy!"

* * *

Eponine was in a daze over the next almost 72 hours. Once she got over the shock of finding out she was pregnant (already), she actually felt rather ecstatic. She wanted kids. Enjolras wanted kids. And he _was _nearly 30. It wasn't like she'd gotten knocked up by some irresponsible 18 year old kid who would turn tail and run the second he found out; Enjolras might actually be excited.

And, when she had realized that the day after their wedding was actually Father's Day, she kind of couldn't believe her luck. If there was ever a day to announce she was pregnant, that was it. (Though she had a strong suspicion Enjolras wouldn't believe her at first, since she did have a knack for fooling him. He had started to grow more and more immune to it over the last few months, however, and convincing him she was serious might actually take some effort.) She and Cosette had immediately tried to figure out her due date the other night, and thanks to Google, had found a website that did it all for her. If she was correct, the baby was probably conceived in early to mid-May, which put her only at about six weeks pregnant, at the most. It was still so early that she didn't want to tell a whole lot of people, anyway, she reasoned, so it was perfectly fine to keep it a secret until after the wedding even from her (almost) husband.

Now, an hour before the ceremony was to start, sitting in her extremely comfortable wedding dress, with a crown of white flowers in her hair, she was surprisingly calm. She felt beautiful, and _looked_ beautiful – her dress was perfect. In an homage to her black lace number from New York, it was backless, and made out of a flowing, ethereal chiffon. Its design was almost Greek-looking, she thought, and fit the outdoor, backyard wedding theme perfectly. It was sexy, but sophisticated, and she was extremely glad she had chosen to not wear a veil. She almost felt like some sort of wood nymph with the flowers in her hair, and she laughed at the thought as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. Cosette looked up from the other side of the room and smiled.

"What are you laughing at? Not yourself, I hope, because you look beautiful."

"Thank you. Do you think he'll like it?"

"Eponine, he wouldn't care if you wore a paper bag today. But yes, he's probably going to forget to breathe when he sees you." Cosette came up behind her and took her hand, squeezing gently. "You haven't told him about the baby, right?"

"No! You're still the only one that knows. I'm going to tell him tomorrow. I have it all planned." She winced and said seriously, "But I'm really worried I'm going to give myself away with the cake tonight. What if I have the same reaction to the chocolate I did the other day? He'll figure it out right away since I _never _freaking refuse chocolate."

"Hm..." Cosette's eyes widened suddenly and she gasped. "Oh my gosh! Eponine! The _wine! _And the champagne! You can't drink it!"

Eponine's mouth fell open. "Oh shit. I didn't even think of that. Fuck, Cosette! I never refuse that, either! Everyone's going to know if I say I don't want a drink! What the hell?!"

"Okay, let me think..." Cosette started pacing, mumbling to herself, and then abruptly stopped and looked at Eponine. "Okay! I have it! We need Gavroche. We have to tell your brother."

"We do?"

"Yes! See, look – we bought all that sparkling cider for him to drink tonight, right? But it looks exactly like white wine, which is what you always have. So, we pour you your wine, you pretend to drink it, and then when the time is right, switch your glass with Gavroche!" Cosette looked awfully pleased with her plan and smiled triumphantly at Eponine.

"And let my baby brother drink?" she asked skeptically.

"Well it's better than letting the _pregnant bride_ drink. And we just won't let him have a whole lot. A few glasses of wine, with proper supervision, won't kill him..."

Eponine sat down and chewed on her lip, finally shrugging in defeat. "Okay...Operation Gavroche is a go. Bring him in so I can tell him."

Thirty minutes later, Gavroche had gotten over his shock and was more than cooperative. When he pulled Eponine in for a tight hug before he left the room and told her he was really excited to be an uncle, and that she looked beautiful, Eponine could barely hold back her tears. She didn't know if it was a subconscious thing or what, but now that she knew she was pregnant, she could swear her hormones had gone extra crazy over the last few days. One minute she was floating on air, and the next she was hysterically crying at the humane society commercials on TV.

Before she knew it, the wedding began. Enjolras' parents had insisted on paying for a string quartet, and Eponine had to admit, they sounded beautiful, the music floating through the lush backyard and through the house to her ears. She and Cosette stood hidden in the kitchen, just inside the back door, tightly holding hands. When the music changed, signaling it was time to start her walk down the aisle, Cosette leaned up and lightly kissed Eponine's cheek. "He looks killer out there, Eponine. I'm so happy for you."

Eponine closed her eyes and concentrated on just on breathing for a minute, sending up a silent prayer to the universe that she wouldn't trip. When she heard her own music cue, she didn't even hesitate, but stepped lightly out the doors, her eyes immediately finding Enjolras waiting for her at the end of the aisle. She smiled shyly, blushing as he gazed at her coming towards him. He had such a pure look of adoration and love on his face that it took her breath away, and as she reached him, he took her hand and pulled her close, completely oblivious to their audience. She could hear the photographer snapping pictures as Enjolras leaned down and brushed his lips against her cheek to her ear.

"You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," he whispered. "I love you."

Eponine just smiled, took his hand, and handed her flowers to Cosette, who gave her a conspiratorial wink. The rest of the ceremony, performed by Combeferre, who had gotten ordained online specifically to marry them, was short and sweet. Before she knew it, they were officially husband and wife, and Enjolras was kissing her like there was no tomorrow, even through an enormous smile. He lifted her off her feet when she finally pulled away, laughing, and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

As they walked back up the aisle together and onto the back porch, the sweet smell of the flowers all around her almost made Eponine gag, but she covered it in time and threw her arms around Enjolras again, breathing in his calming scent instead. "You're my husband," she mumbled against his neck, smiling widely.

"Finally." He kissed her again, only pulling away when the photographer started directing them for pictures. The other guests were already being served for the cocktail hour as the wait staff began setting up for the reception, and Eponine was beyond grateful that she hadn't been the one to plan any of this. The only thing that mattered were the vows they had just said and the ring on her finger – while all of this pomp and circumstance was nice, it was by far not the thing that mattered most to her today.

Cosette nudged her halfway through the pictures and mumbled, "Get your hand off your stomach. Courfeyrac is watching you."

Eponine dropped her hand immediately, blushing. She hadn't even realized she was doing it. Once the pictures were over, dinner was served and "Operation Get Gavroche Drunk," as he had dubbed it, began. Once again, Courfeyrac was the one to narrow his eyes at her as he saw her switch her drink with Gav's. Eponine just grinned and shrugged at him, taking a demure sip of the sparkling cider now in her glass. Enjolras hadn't noticed a thing.

When it was time to cut the cake, Eponine braced herself. Cosette stood close, as well, ready to rush Eponine to a more secluded spot to puke her guts out, if it came to that. Luckily, however, when Enjolras stuck his finger in the rich, chocolate icing and held it out to her playfully, she didn't even flinch. She raised an eyebrow as she took his finger in her mouth, closing her eyes as she realized it actually tasted delicious. Enjolras pulled his finger away slowly and cleared his throat, saying only loud enough for her to hear, "Okay, no more of that or I'm not going to be able to keep things G-rated."

Eponine laughed, and obliged by smearing chocolate cake all over his face, as any good bride should do, she reasoned.

The rest of the night went by in a beautiful blur, but around 9:00, she was absolutely ready to be alone with her new husband. Most of the guests had already left, since it was an early wedding and reception, and though the rest of their friends were planning to go out on the town and celebrate more, she didn't even want to think about it. After they said goodbye to some family friends, Eponine turned to Enjolras and tugged on his jacket to pull him closer. "Take me home now?" she asked hopefully, and Enjolras nodded, brushing her hair behind her ear.

"I thought you'd never ask."

They made their exit gracefully and quietly, slipping into Enjolras' modestly decorated car only a few minutes later. (He had made sure, with the promise of serious bodily harm if they disobeyed, that his friends didn't adorn it with anything too embarrassing.) Gavroche was staying with his pseudo-grandparents for the next two weeks while they went on their honeymoon, but they would see him once more before their flight on Monday night. Enjolras gripped her hand tightly the entire ride home, and as they walked towards the front door, he abruptly swept Eponine into his arms.

She squealed in surprise and clung to his neck, laughing. "Oh, I guess we're sticking with this tradition, huh?"

"Of course. You're my bride, aren't you?" He fumbled with his key for a minute before pushing the door open and carrying her over the threshold, both of them giggling like kids. Once she was back on her feet, Enjolras cupped her face and kissed her forehead.

"How do you feel?" he asked.

"Happier than I've ever been. Today was the best day of my life," she said honestly.

"Mine, too. There are no words to describe how gorgeous you look." He leaned down and kissed her slowly, scooping her into his arms again and carrying her easily up the stairs. Once they were in the bedroom, he moved his lips to her neck, backing her into the wall and nudging her legs open with his knee. "Don't take off the dress," he mumbled against her skin. "I want to make love to you just like this."

Eponine nodded breathlessly and helped him hastily undress, leaving her dress on just like he wanted. His hands fondled her breasts through the flimsy material, and he easily pushed it up over her hips as she jumped up to wrap her legs around his waist. Enjolras buried himself inside her in one swift motion, her back against the wall as he thrust into her with deep, long strokes. Eponine's hands gripped his shoulders and his hair as she cried out each time their bodies met.

"Tell me you're mine," he suddenly whispered into her neck, his voice low and raspy, and Eponine squeezed her eyes shut, whimpering. She would never understand how he could make her feel so good, time after time.

"I'm yours. I'm yours, Gabe!" she gasped, desperately clinging to his back as he increased his movements and brought them both to their climax. They were both so shaky afterwards that they slid right down to the floor, laughing helplessly and as euphoric as they had been their very first time together in New York. After a few minutes, Enjolras helped Eponine out of her dress, leaving it in a heap on the floor as they relocated to the bed and enjoyed each other another few times before falling into an exhausted sleep.

When she woke up the next morning, Eponine slowly crept out of bed and into the bathroom to take a shower. She dressed, and then as quietly as she could, hung her now extremely rumpled wedding dress in the closet, smiling wistfully and stroking the material one last time before shutting the door. It was already 10 am, much later than they normally slept, and Eponine sighed as she watched Enjolras sleep, her hand finding its way back to her stomach. Now that everything was over, she was impatient to tell him.

Eponine sat gingerly on the side of the bed, leaning over and brushing his hair out of his face. "Gabe?" she asked quietly. "Wake up..."

He groaned and batted her hand away, turning onto his side and curling his body around her. "Mmm, come back to bed, Eponine."

She laughed and stood even as he reached out to hold her back. "No! Come on, I have a present for you downstairs. Please?"

"A present?" He opened one eye and looked at her curiously. "You didn't need to get me anything."

"It was no trouble, believe me." She smirked and pointed to the bathroom. "Come on, go take a shower and then come downstairs."

"Okay, okay," he grumbled, climbing out of bed with a yawn.

Eponine hurried downstairs, stopping short in the kitchen doorway when she saw a box with the name of her favorite bakery on it and a card with Cosette's handwriting on top. She must have used her spare key to sneak in earlier that morning.

_Thought you might not want to cook breakfast today since I'm sure you had a LONG night! ;) XOXO - Cosette_

Eponine smiled and quickly texted Cosette a thank you. Not only was she lucky in the husband department, she thought, but her best friend blew everyone else out of the water, too. In a few minutes, Eponine heard Enjolras coming downstairs, and she hurried into the den, grabbing the small bag of "gifts" she'd put together to clue him in to the fact that he was going to be a father in about eight months.

She placed it on the counter and grabbed some plates, putting his favorite kind of doughnut in front of him as he sat down.

"Where did these come from?!"

"Cosette. I have a kickass matron of honor. She snuck in this morning and left them."

"Bless her," Enjolras muttered, and quickly polished off one doughnut before Eponine even touched hers.

"That's your present, why don't you open it?" She gestured to the bag sitting next to him, her heart rate increasing exponentially. "Open the little box first."

"Okay..." Enjolras pushed his plate away and took the box from the bag, his face puzzled. He took the lid off and stared, narrowing his eyes. Inside was a single, tiny little pea. "Uh...care to explain?"

"Weeeeeell," Eponine said slowly. She took a deep breath, feeling her cheeks flush from anticipation, and said quietly, "It's kind of amazing, isn't it? That that's how big our baby is right now?"

It took a few seconds for it to register, but as soon as he comprehended her words, he froze, staring at her with wide eyes. She stared back, chewing on her lip nervously, and just waiting for him to say something. After what felt like an entire minute, but was probably only thirty seconds at most, she said nervously, "Gabe? Did you hear what I said?"

"Yeah..." He cocked his head, studying her intently, and admitted, "I'm waiting for you to say you're fucking with me."

Eponine sighed and shook her head, grinning. "I'm not! I swear. I knew you would think that, but I'm _not. _I'm completely serious!"

"No, you're not," he insisted. "Come on!"

"Gabe!" she laughed and pointed to the bag. "Come on, look at the rest. I wouldn't have gone that far just to try and mess with you!"

With another skeptical look, Enjolras dug into the bag and pulled out a tiny onesie. Written on the front was, _Don't drop me. My daddy is a lawyer._

Enjolras glanced back at her, and she could tell he was still torn. "Look at the card," she said quietly. "It's for your first Father's Day."

He pulled it out and opened it, reading it to himself silently. She had signed it, "Love Eponine and Baby Enjolras," and included the memo from her doctor confirming her first appointment for the next day, just in time before they left for their honeymoon.

She walked around the counter and stood in front of him, smiling hesitantly. He still wasn't having a very big reaction, which scared her a little, and she reached out, pointing to the card for her doctor.

"I'm really not kidding," she said seriously. "I have my first appointment tomorrow, but I've taken three tests and it's a pretty damn sure thing. I think we get to hear the heartbeat tomorrow? I don't know if they do a sonogram then, but maybe they will. I mean, if you want to go with me?" she asked hopefully.

Enjolras finally looked at her, putting the card back on the counter with shaking hands. His face was white, she realized. "You're really not kidding?"

"No. I'm really, really serious, I promise. I'm pregnant."

"Eponine," he whispered, color rushing back to his cheeks. "Oh my God. I...you...what?!" He covered his face, laughing hysterically into his hands. "You're really pregnant?"

"Yes. I know it's insane...seriously, leave it to me to get knocked up six weeks before our wedding, which was already crazy in the first place. But like Cosette said, we've done everything fast! So maybe this is just some cosmic joke, making fun of us or something..."

"Eponine." Enjolras put his hands on her waist and pulled her closer, leaning forward to gently kiss her stomach. "I don't care if it's fast. I don't. I love you. And I'm really, really happy."

Her heart melted as he lifted her shirt and pressed his lips to her skin. "Really? Because I am, too. At first I was freaked out, and shocked, but now I'm just excited. And it's still _really _early, so we shouldn't announce it or anything just in case, but I know it's going to be okay. According to some website Cosette and I found, I'm due in the beginning of February."

Enjolras looked up at her and grinned. "February, huh?"

She nodded. "Yeah. February."

"So you tell me you're pregnant on Father's Day and you're due in February. If this kid is born on Valentine's Day, we are never going to hear the end about how cliché we are."

"I didn't even think of that," Eponine giggled. "Oh my God, let's just hope that doesn't happen. What a horrible birthday to have!"

Enjolras gazed at her silently for a minute, his expression turning more serious, but still smiling. He leaned up and pulled her into a short, chaste kiss, his hand caressing her stomach. "I love you," he said quietly as he pulled away. "You've given me everything I never knew I wanted. I definitely never thought I would be a husband or a father, and now within tweny-four hours, I find out I'm both."

Eponine smiled. "Welcome to your new reality, I guess."

"It's a good one. It's a really, really good one."

_**let the river run,**_

_**let all the dreamers**_

_**wake the nation**_

_**come, the new jerusalem**_


	10. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

"Where's the birthday boy?!"

Eponine winced and grabbed the baby monitor, glancing at the screen to see if Courfeyrac's obnoxiously loud entrance through the back door had woken her son. Luckily, the baby was still sleeping soundly, knocked out cold in his crib upstairs.

"Shut up!" she heard Enjolras gripe at him from the kitchen. "He's asleep because you're an hour early, doofus. Good to see you, though."

Gavroche looked at her and grinned, putting the finishing touches on the gift table in the corner of the living room. "Courf's here, not that you could miss that."

"No kidding." Eponine followed Gavroche into the kitchen, baby monitor in hand, and pinched an unsuspecting Courfeyrac's ass as she came up behind him. "If you wake up the baby with your loud mouth, you're the one who gets to deal with his screaming. He is _not _happy when he doesn't wake up on his own time. But welcome back!"

Courfeyrac jumped and turned, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and squeezing tightly. "Hello to you, too. And sorry I got the time wrong – I could have sworn _that _one told me 1 o'clock," Courfeyrac accused, pointing at Gavroche.

"It's okay. Now I can put you to work. Can you put these up around the food table and wherever in the kitchen you think they'd look good?" Eponine handed him a roll of crepe paper streamers and tape and smiled sweetly.

"How is the little ankle biter? I haven't seen him in what? Three, almost four months?" Courfeyrac asked, getting to work on the streamers like Eponine instructed. Courfeyrac had just gotten back into town after going on a backpacking trip through Europe; Gavroche joined him for two and a half weeks during his Christmas break, but other than that, Courfeyrac was off the grid most of the time.

"He's great. I can't believe it's been a year already. And I won the bet!" Eponine said proudly. "I got him to say 'mama' before 'dada.' It was only about two weeks between them, but still."

Enjolras rolled his eyes, but kissed her forehead affectionately as he passed her to grab a snack from the fridge. "Well, he's not stupid. He knows where the food comes from."

Courfeyrac snorted and eyed Eponine's breasts appreciatively. "I'd say 'mama' too, if I were him."

"Courf, seriously? Stop staring at my sister's boobs," Gavroche grumbled. "That's just gross."

"It's only gross because she's your sister. I, however, have a deep love and appreciation for the female body."

"Speaking of boobs..." Eponine pointed to the baby monitor. "I see someone's awake, which means he's going to want me in a few minutes. I'll bring him down when we're finished." Eponine ruffled Courfeyrac's hair as she walked past him to the stairs. "I missed you, Courf!"

She tiptoed up the stairs and through the hall, stopping just outside the baby's room. Sometimes if he didn't realize someone was coming for him, he was content to just sit in his crib and babble, which Eponine thought was the most adorable thing in the world. Today, however, all was quiet.

"Elliot," she called in a sing-song voice as she pushed open the baby's door. "Where's my birthday boy?"

As soon as he heard her voice, Elliot stood in his crib, hanging onto the side and giving her a drool-filled grin. Eponine stood in front of him and smoothed back his messy blonde curls. "Hey, you. Uncle Courferyrac is downstairs! And grandma and grandpa are going to be here. _Everyone _is going to come see you today," she crooned. "And you get your own cake!"

Elliot talked back in his usual way as Eponine scooped him up into her arms. "And don't tell Daddy, but your cake is _chocolate_ because it's way better than vanilla." She settled into the comfortable rocking chair in the corner of the room and began to nurse Elliot, feeling a little bit of remorse that within a few days, nursing time was going to be drastically reduced. She had been breastfeeding for a year now, and while it was amazing bonding time with her baby, she was starting to feel ready for her body to be her own again. Still, it was going to be hard for both of them to let go.

They were both quiet for several minutes, Elliot content and still as he nursed. He was usually pretty docile during this time, one of the _only _times of day he wasn't on the go. He'd crawled pretty early, as babies go, and was walking on very shaky legs by ten months. (She stopped counting the bruises and bumps on his head from the tumbles he took – Elliot never seemed to be bothered, and always got right back up again, showing the same determination she remembered in Gavroche.)

Elliot's eyes were big and blue as he gazed up at her, and Eponine took his hand and kissed it. Not that she minded at all, but he looked _exactly _like his father, down to even the same grumpy look he got when he fought sleep, his death glares when he was unhappy or mad, and his look of concentration when he tried to do something new. She loved him in such a fierce, unyielding way that it sometimes took her breath away.

"You're one year old today, Elliot. Did you know mommy and daddy barely made it to the hospital when you were born? Mommy was so crazy she didn't even know you'd decided to make your grand entrance," she said quietly.

"Yeah, let's not let that happen ever again."

Eponine looked up and grinned, stinking her tongue out at Enjolras, who stood in the doorway watching them. "Oh, it wasn't that bad. We got there, didn't we?"

_"Barely." _Enjolras walked across the room and bent down, giving Elliot a light kiss on his head. Elliot smiled, but was still too preoccupied with his afternoon meal to give his father too much attention. "Hm. Do you think you almost giving birth in Courf's backseat had anything to do with why he fled the country?"

"I wouldn't doubt it. Can you believe it's been a year?"

"Not at all. It's flown by...and yet, at the same time, I now don't remember what a night of good sleep feels like."

"Me, either. Elliot needs to spend the night at your parent's house soon so we can catch up."

"With sleep or with _other _areas we've been neglecting?" Enjolras asked suggestively.

"Both. Hell, maybe they should keep him for the weekend."

"Sounds good to me." Enjolras wandered over to Elliot's dresser and pulled out the birthday outfit she picked out that morning. "This is cute."

"Thanks, I thought so."

Elliot suddenly decided he was full and abruptly broke away from Eponine's breast, holding his hands out to Enjolras as he squirmed in her lap. "Dada, dada, dada!"

"Oh, I see how it is," Enjolras playfully glared as he picked Elliot up, making him squeal as he tickled his sides and held him above his head. "You like me now that you're full, huh?"

Eponine fixed her bra and shirt and stood, smiling as she watched Enjolras playing with their son, a sight she never got tired of seeing. Enjolras smiled more with Elliot in his life, and was just more relaxed and playful in general. "Don't shake him too much," she warned, "unless you want a bunch of puke in your face."

"Been there, done that." Enjolras lowered Elliot in front of his nose and sniffed, making a disgusted face. "Oh, Lord. I came in at the wrong time. Thanks for warning me."

"You took him, he's yours now!" Eponine called over her shoulder as she quickly left the room, laughing as Enjolras yelled indignantly after her. She fled downstairs, where more of their friends and family now mingled since it was closer to the _actual _start time of Elliot's first birthday party. Enjolras' parents, the Pontmercies, and Combeferre, along with his new wife and four year old step-daughter had already arrived.

Eponine grinned as she saw Cosette, who was now five months pregnant with her first child. "Look at you! You popped over the last two weeks, you were barely even showing then. How are you feeling?"

"Pretty good! I'm not throwing up every five minutes anymore, so things are looking up. Where's Elliot?"

"With his daddy. Enjolras got diaper duty."

"Good call. I'm beginning to think that after incubating his spawn for nine months, Marius should change every single diaper," Cosette said firmly.

"I am totally in support of that plan."

Enjolras brought Elliot downstairs in a few minutes, and as more and more people arrived for the party, Elliot reveled in being the center of attention. Though he looked like Enjolras, his personality so far was very different from them both. He laughed at everything, was easy-going and full of energy, and was now very used to being the center of everyone's world; in fact, he probably expected it at this point. His grandparent's doted on him, so much so that Enjolras had to put his foot down a few months prior and gently tell them to _stop _buying Elliot new toys. They never had trouble finding a babysitter between grandparents, their friends, and Gavroche, who was surprisingly good with his nephew. Throughout the last year, there were several moments when Eponine completely stopped in her tracks, overcome with the realization of how lucky she was to have so many amazing people in her life.

The rest of the party passed quickly, with all of the customary happenings for a now one-year old. Eponine and Enjolras sat on the floor and helped Elliot open his presents, he covered himself with chocolate cake as everyone giggled and egged him on, and somewhere near the end of the party, it hit Eponine hard: her baby wasn't a baby anymore, but an actual toddler.

Once the party was over, Eponine gave Elliot a bath, one of his favorite things, to get the chocolate cake out of his hair, and let him play as long as he wanted in the bubbles. He giggled every time she blew them from her hands, and clapped in delight as she piled them on top of his head. He'd had such an eventful day, however, that he fell asleep practically as soon as she wrapped him up in his fluffy duck towel, the little hood with the duck's bill on it flapping over his face. She carried him into his bedroom and sat in the rocking chair, content to stare at him for a while as he slept. It was reflective moments like these that sometimes made her think about her own parents; the only conclusion she had come to was that there was something inherently defective about them, because the instinctive love she felt for her son from the moment she found out she was pregnant was something she could _never _ignore or push aside. There was no telling what made her different, but whatever it was, she was glad; she couldn't remember a time when her parents were ever truly happy, just struggling and scheming to survive.

Eponine was startled out of her thoughts by Enjolras' footsteps in the hall. He peeked into Elliot's bedroom and entered quietly once he noticed her. "There you are. What are you two doing?"

"Just sitting. He's asleep." Eponine lifted Elliot's hood a bit so Enjolras could see his face.

"Thinking again, huh?" Enjolras asked, leaning down and kissing the top of her head.

Eponine smiled sheepishly and shrugged, letting Enjolras take the sleeping baby from her arms and put him on the changing table. He began to put Elliot's pajamas on, trying all the while not to wake him.

"Someone's tired," Enjolras remarked quietly, picking Elliot up and cradling him against his chest once he was dressed. "Maybe we'll get a couple extra hours of sleep in the morning."

"That would be nice." Eponine stood and kissed Elliot's forehead, standing back as Enjolras put him gently in the crib and covered him with his favorite blanket.

"What were you thinking about?" Enjolras wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on top of her head.

"How ordinary my life is, for the first time ever. It's just a really nice feeling. I mean, nothing stays perfect forever – we're bound to hit some bumps in the road and everyone has problems. But I don't look over my shoulder expecting tragedy at any moment anymore."

"Which is a first." Enjolras cupped her face and kissed her gently.

"I am sad, though," she admitted. "Elliot's not a _baby _anymore. He's walking and sort of talking and everything is just going by so fast. A year ago at this time we were in the hospital sitting there staring at him, and he was brand new and so tiny. It's just crazy to think about how quickly time passes."

"It does seem like it goes by much faster now," Enjolras mused. "When we were hiding our relationship, every day seemed like a year. It doesn't anymore."

"Maybe that goes with 'ordinary.' Or just getting old," she teased. The other day when Enjolras found his first gray hair in the mirror, he'd tried to play it cool, but Eponine could tell it freaked him out a little bit.

Enjolras glared and slipped his hands down to her ass, squeezing appreciatively. "31 is _not _old," he said firmly, "and just because we're married and ordinary doesn't mean we have to be boring. For instance, there's still half a chocolate cake downstairs and all day I've thought about how good it would taste if I covered you in it first."

Eponine blushed, but managed an affronted look. "Uh, _no. _Excuse me, but I'm the one that likes chocolate. If anyone is going to be covered, it's you, because then _I _get to lick it off."

Enjolras held his hands up and shrugged. "Okay, okay. I know when to back down. I'll be back in two minutes."

Eponine laughed as he jogged out of the room, then checked Elliot one last time before turning the light off and the baby monitor on. _Ordinary, but not boring, _she thought, _I can get used to that._

* * *

**Thank you all for reading. :) I had a blast writing this story, and I hope you guys enjoyed reading it just as much. THANKS!**


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